Never Tear Us Apart
by Quatermass
Summary: (Inspired by Anubis of The Highway Thieves' "It Followed Me Home" challenge and, partially, DZ2's "My Dark Protector" challenge) Long ago, part of Morrigan Aensland's power was sealed away. Years later, it fused with Harry Potter's soul in the womb. Now, after the debacle of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry's imaginary friend, Lilith, proves herself to be very real indeed...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

Having done a _Street Fighter_ crossover, I thought it was past time that I tried another Capcom fighting game franchise to do a story with. I had decided on _Darkstalkers_ , the horror-themed fighting game series, and after reading the Udon comics and getting some background, I decided to do it. It helped that there have been two crossovers, both by Gamer95 as part of their Project Motherhood stories. Incidentally, _Darkstalkers_ has two categories. One is in anime, and the other in the games section. As the anime one actually has character tags, I'm using that one as the crossover (those interested in the Gamer95 stories should check the games category).

Finding the right handle was a problem. This story eventually became based on two challenges. The first was Anubis of The Highway Thieves' _It Followed Me Home_ challenge, while the second was my own. I did dismiss a few of the rules of said challenge, _Morrigan's Power Reborn_ , but I think it was worth it (and that challenge is still open to anyone interested, as long as they do something different to my story and let me know first).

Now, Lilith may be somewhat OOC in this, but that's partly due to my lack of familiarity with _Darkstalkers_ (the Udon comics, sadly, end just as Lilith and Jedah make their debut), and partly due to Harry's influence. I'm hoping that the other characters are on target.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Darkstalkers_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, dark themes and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Darkstalkers_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Morrigan will consume your soul…


	2. Chapter 1: Fracture

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **FRACTURE**

 _Once, centuries ago, an infant Succubus was adopted by Belial Aensland, the ruler of Makai, the demon realm, and perhaps the most powerful of the entities known as the Darkstalkers. Her power made her a worthy heiress to his throne, but he also knew that her power could intoxicate her. So, he divided her power into three. The Succubus, whom he would dub Morrigan, would keep one third of her power. Belial would keep another third in trust until he felt she was ready for the responsibility, or when he died, whatever came first. And another third, he sealed within a pocket dimension._

 _Belial was unaware that this particular third of Morrigan's power would soon develop its own sentience, a life of its own. It was a miscalculation that, in some timelines, would have cost him, or rather, his heir, dearly. In most timelines, this isolated third of Morrigan's power would be found by Jedah Domah, a rival to Belial's throne. This mass of energy with a personality would be given a body, and a name, Lilith._

 _However, in this timeline, the power that would become Lilith was found by a very different party indeed. A group of Unspeakables from the British Ministry of Magic would find the pocket dimension by accident. And that power, and the sentience that came with it, entered into a young Unspeakable by the name of Lily Potter, who was unaware that she was pregnant at the time._

 _As her child developed, Lily didn't know it, but her child had two entities within him, and a single soul. Had she known what shared a body with her son…well, she would have accepted him anyway, along with his passenger. Though the same couldn't be said about the rest of Magical Britain. Her son shared a body with two other entities than his own…well, until one of them consumed the other._

 _Our story picks up nearly sixteen years after her child's birth, nearly fifteen years after events conspired to kill Lily Potter, her husband, and elevate her son to one of the most famous people in Magical Britain…though Harry Potter's star is on the wane…and soon, something darker will rise…_

* * *

Well, this sucked balls, to say the least.

Well, first things first, he had been an unwilling participant in his nemesis' Happy Resurrection Day party, and now the snake-faced bastard was making some bombastic speech (seriously, Voldemort loved to hear himself talk). And then, there was the fact that his comrade (he couldn't really consider Cedric a friend) was sprawled on the grass nearby, dead, voiding his bowls, and staring at the sky with an imbecilic expression of terminal surprise. And now, he was going to be following him before long.

And that was on top of this year being one of his more interesting at Hogwarts so far, what with half the school turning their back on him out of petulance, being forced to participate in a dangerous tournament, facing off against dragons, merpeople and a bitchy journalist, culminating in tonight. With him being tied to a bloody gravestone (literally bloody, thanks to Pettigrew's clumsy attempts at phlebotomy), and Voldemort doing his little monologue about how great he was, how pathetic his minions were, and how Harry was going to die tonight. Yawn.

He'd be a lot more panicked in this situation if he didn't have Lilith running commentary.

"Oh, for the love of Makai, he's enjoying the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?" she remarked from where she leaned casually against the gravestone Harry was tied to. "A shame he didn't inflict more pain on those inbred minions of his. I wanted to see more blood and soiled robes. I mean, seriously, monologues from villains should be informative, not boring. They're telling you your evil plans, after all. Maybe he's hoping to bore you to death."

Harry stifled a snort of laughter at Lilith's snark, though he couldn't resist shooting her a glance. He had always thought that she was his imaginary friend, one who had been a comfort to him in the Dursleys' house, his first friend. But if she was a product of his imagination, he had to wonder why, since turning fourteen, she had started dressing like she did recently.

True, she always had the short mop of violet hair framing a cute face, not to mention the crimson batwings protruding from her back, and a smaller pair from her temples. But since he turned fourteen, she began wearing a scarlet leotard that left little to the imagination, plus blue stockings with bat-like patterns on them. Thank Merlin she was growing as he did, but still, she seemed to dress like that partly to fluster him. She could dress in other costumes if she wanted to.

Of course, her frequent interjections had gotten him into trouble more than once due to his reaction, and he tried not to talk to himself. Hell, not even Hermione knew about Lilith, and she was his best non-imaginary friend. Though she would definitely look askance at him if she knew.

 _I'm going to die here, aren't I?_ Harry asked mentally once his mirth died down somewhat. _I mean, I want to find a way to get out of this, and I intend to, but…I'm alone…aside from you, anyway. I'm surrounded by Death Eaters, and Voldemort's back to full power. I'm Merlin-knows where, and nobody I trust knows where I am. Cedric's dead, and I'm probably going to follow_.

Lilith's retort died on her lips. She knew Harry was afraid. She moved over to him, and gently placed a hand on his cheek. He felt little but a light, tingling warmth, a phantom hand on his face. "I wish I could help you. But…I don't even have a body. My power remains locked away. Maybe given time, we can break that barrier. I've been whittling away at it for some time, but even so…if we're lucky, the Killing Curse will have no effect on us. We are one being, after all, and not entirely human."

Merlin, he was going crazy again. Lilith's claims to being part of his soul, that his soul wasn't entirely human, was it any wonder he felt that way? Harry loved her, but still, she said many things that seemed designed to test his sanity. Maybe his theory of her being a split personality wasn't so farfetched after all.

It was at about that point that even Voldemort tired of hearing his own voice, and decided to indulge in his more conventionally sadistic streak. He also didn't believe in Harry having a sporting chance, deciding to torture an incarcerated teenager. " _CRUCIO!_ " he roared.

Now, Harry was no stranger to pain. In fact, given what the Dursleys did to him, he could be said to be a connoisseur, though not in the manner of actually enjoying pain. But the only thing he would consider to be worse pain was the venom of the Basilisk, and at least that had been mostly confined to one area. This was systemic, as if the dragon from the First Task had set him aflame. Pain wracked his nerves, his muscles, even in his very bones themselves.

And he could hear Lilith screaming alongside him.

He would do anything, anything, to keep the both of them alive. He may have been afraid he was going to die, but he wasn't actually resigned to it. He would fight to the very end.

His only coherent thoughts as his mind was consumed by the fires of the Cruciatus were, _I want to be strong! I want both of us to be strong! Please, we need to_ _ **live!**_

* * *

Most such entreaties, whether they be prayers to a deity or just to some impersonal force of the universe, almost never work. Wishful thinking can never truly deny reality, even when you have powers like magic.

And yet, the vast reserves of power deep within the entity that was both Harry Potter and Lilith Aensland, dammed by their unwitting fusion years ago, were almost ready to burst forth. All that was needed was the right catalyst.

The Cruciatus Curse didn't just need powerful emotion to fuel it. It also needed magical power, period, to achieve its full effect. Vast torrents of magical energy were forcing themselves into Harry's body, setting his nerves aflame. And the sensations he felt, Lilith shared. And while she was somewhat masochistic, the Cruciatus went beyond the pale.

The Cruciatus, however, was also eroding the barriers keeping the power of Lilith Aensland at bay. And soon, they had eroded enough that the power burst forth. And it did some rather…interesting things in its wake.

They intersected with the desires of Harry and Lilith, reacting to their feelings of impotence (and NOT of that kind, get your minds out of the gutter). Harry wanted to be strong enough to stop Voldemort. Lilith wanted to have a body so she could help her friend and very literal soulmate.

And for once, their wishes were granted…

* * *

The next thing Harry knew, he was falling from the gravestone, his bindings removed. The Death Eaters and Voldemort were all blinking, as if briefly dazzled by a flare of light. The pain receded, and he found Lilith helping him to his feet. Wait, what? She was solid? And why did he feel…strange?

Voldemort recovered first, and then glared. Only to blink in astonishment. "Who…how…what trickery is this?!" he demanded. "What is a Darkstalker doing here?!"

Lilith merely glared at him. "Why should I answer the questions of a dead man?" She flung her hands at Voldemort, and shouted, "SOUL FLASH!"

A luminous green bat appeared, flying at Voldemort at speed. The ophidian-faced warlock dived away, but one of his minions wasn't so lucky, a hole punched through the man's torso. Lilith was attacking another, slashing him into the air with her wing and a cry of "SHINING BLADE!"

Harry stared as Lilith tore through the Death Eaters, dodging spells at inhuman speeds. He felt a strange pleasure through his link with Lilith. She was enjoying this. No, they _both_ were.

Soon, the whipcrack noises of Apparitions filled the air, including that of Voldemort. Soon, the only Death Eaters left in the graveyard were dead ones. Soon, the only living beings in the cemetery in Little Hangleton were Harry and Lilith.

Lilith shivered, but not in fear or anxiety. "Whoa…" she murmured, her cheeks crimson. "What a rush. So this is what it's like having a proper body…"

"Why did that feel so good?" Harry asked, more than a little disturbed by what he felt.

Lilith shrugged. "When we're physically or mentally stimulated in the right way, we produce a substance that gives us pleasure, as well as sustaining our existence. My link with you allows you to feel my pleasure." She gave a small but vicious grin. "That, and the fact that it feels so good for cruel hunters to become the hunted for a change. Though that damned rat got away. I was going to capture him to try and get Sirius exonerated, but…well, I guess rats know when to flee a sinking ship first." She sighed, and a swarm of bats surrounded her. Her batwings disappeared, and her clothes dissolved, only to be replaced with a knee-length tartan skirt and a Black Sabbath shirt depicting a gurning Ozzy Osbourne. She then strutted up to him, and touched his face.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Harry…you changed. Our magic, and the fact that we are one soul with two personalities, reacted in our time of need. Our desperation fuelled this change. So, here we are." She looked over at the trophy, and walked over to it, and Cedric's body. "We'd better get our stories straight before we head back here. I'm a friend of yours that you've known at Surrey since you were young. I happened to be up here for a holiday, and helped rescued you. I'm sure Dumbledore will figure out what I am…what we are, but to the public…that's our story."

Harry stared at her, before he asked, "But…what are you?"

She looked at him. "I am a Succubus, Harry," she said, pulling him over to Cedric's body, and as Harry numbly held the body, Lilith clasped his hand in his own, and then, as she reached down for the trophy, she said, "And I am now your familiar…"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, that just happened.**

 **In the original version of this story, of course, Harry became a Succubus, a male one. Not an Incubus. But I thought that was getting too complicated, so I decided to do a hybrid of my 'Morrigan's Power Reborn' challenge and Anubis of The Highway Thieves' challenge 'It Followed Me Home'.**

 **And Lilith, unlike the games, doesn't look too young for Harry to have a relationship with. Then again, considering that they're both, effectively, the same being with two different personalities…well, does their coming relationship count as incest or masturbation?**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	3. Chapter 2: Discussions with Dumbledore

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **DISCUSSIONS WITH DUMBLEDORE**

Harry had been so dazed from that revelation, that when he appeared back at Hogwarts, he found himself being led away by Mad-Eye Moody with little preamble. It was only when he didn't seem to be taking Harry to the infirmary that Lilith, who had been following, took action. She darted in front of Moody, and crossed her arms. "Where are you taking him?"

"Somewhere safe, girl," Moody said.

"For whom?"

Moody stared at her, before he seemed to realise he had never seen her before. "And who are you? Why did you come back with Potter?"

"I am Lilith. And protecting Harry is what I do. We will take him to the hospital wing."

Moody, after a moment, simply drew his wand and attacked Lilith, who dodged the spell. A sickly green spell…like the Killing Curse. "Stop it! She's a friend!" Harry yelled.

Moody cursed, before pressing his wand to Harry's head, grabbing him. "Maybe…but I'm not."

"…Either you're more around the twist than we thought…or you're not Moody," Lilith said. She sniffed, and then, she said, "Harry, that flask…does it smell familiar?"

Harry, who was close to where Moody kept his flask on his belt, sniffed…and found himself grimacing. Memories from second year came back to him. "Polyjuice?"

Realising his peril, he shoved Moody away as hard as he could, and was astonished when the man flew, and smashed his head against a nearby wall, slumping, unconscious. He stared, and then looked at his hands. After a moment's confusion, he shook his head. Priorities first. "That's not Moody." Then, a thought occurred to him. "He must've been the one who put my bloody name into the Goblet of Fire…" He cast a spell, and Moody was wrapped up in ropes. "Lilith, keep an eye on him, I'm fetching Dumbledore!"

* * *

He didn't need to go far. He bumped into Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall, who all looked very serious indeed. "Mr Potter! Are you all right?" McGonagall asked.

"Not really, no. I just found out my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was trying to kill me. So, just another year here," Harry said. "Oh, and he's an impostor."

"I suspected as much," Dumbledore said gravely. "At least once he took you away from us. The Moody I knew would never have done that, taken you away after what you said. But that girl, Harry…who was she?"

"A friend. She happened to be passing by the area I was taken to. Professor, Voldemort's back, I saw him, he…"

"All in good time, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "I heard you when you first came back. Is the impostor secure?"

"I've tied him up, and Lilith's standing watch."

"And just who is this friend, Potter?" Snape asked with a habitual sneer. "I've never seen that girl before in my life!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I don't believe it myself," Harry retorted.

They soon found Lilith standing vigil over Moody, and Dumbledore then said to Snape, "Snape, meet me in the DADA classroom with your best Veritaserum. And please fetch a House Elf called Winky from the kitchens. Minerva, would you kindly go to Hagrid's hut, and bring the large black dog there to my office and tell him that I'll be with him shortly?"

The two teachers nodded, and left. As they did so, Dumbledore looked at Lilith. "It appears I am in your debt, young lady. And your name is Lilith?"

"Yes."

"Umm…she followed me home?" Harry said, a little uncertainly.

"Hmm. How extraordinary. It is a rare Darkstalker who would make friends with a human," Dumbledore mused, with the shock apparent on both Harry and Lilith's faces. "And yes, I know you are a Darkstalker. This castle has a Dark Creature ward to alert me to any incursions from outside the castle, though it does little for creatures coming from within, like a certain Basilisk. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. We'll continue this another time." Dumbledore waved his wand, and Moody was hovering in the air. He soon moved briskly off, Moody's body, along with Harry and Lilith in tow…

* * *

The following interrogation of Moody was disturbing. Not that it was Moody, but Barty Crouch Junior, who bragged about his achievements while under the influence of Veritaserum, as well as how his father smuggled him out of Azkaban. McGonagall was asked to stand guard over Barty Crouch Junior, and then Dumbledore led them to his office, where Sirius was waiting. Harry told his tale about what happened (lying about where Lilith came from), Lilith corroborating it, and after they were finished, Dumbledore pursed his lips thoughtfully. After a moment, Dumbledore said, "While I believe most of your story…I can't say I believe the part of Lilith just happening to be there. It seems too coincidental, too much like a _deus ex machina_ , a contrived salvation, to be real. I would like the truth."

Lilith scoffed. "The truth? That's rich, coming from someone who loves to hide the truth from Harry, and send him off to that hellhole with his so-called relatives. And if you _dare_ say anything like 'it's not that bad', I will get angry. Well, more so than I am with you already."

Sirius chortled at Lilith's anger, and Dumbledore's startled reaction to it. "Not a fan of Dumbledore, then?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I am assuming he is a fool rather than malicious in sending Harry back to those… _humans._ " Her sneer would have possibly impressed Snape, had he been present. "So whatever truth he believes I am hiding, he is not welcome to it."

"Very well. In any case, I got the truth through Legilimency," Dumbledore said, sitting back in a manner that could have been considered smug had it not been for the solemn and thoughtful look on his face. "How extraordinary…a single soul with two entities. Not a split personality, but two entities sharing the same body and soul. Though how a Succubus ended up merged with Harry…"

Lilith stormed over to Dumbledore's desk, glaring at him with her crimson eyes. "Look into my mind again at your peril, Dumbledore."

"A Succubus? My godson is bound to a Succubus?" Sirius asked, before crying manly tears. "Oh, Prongs would be so proud! And jealous! I know I am!"

"Not the time, Padfoot," Harry bit out.

"Please!" Dumbledore said, holding up a hand. "Now, this does complicate things somewhat. As long as they are relatively benign, I have little trouble with Darkstalkers, but the Ministry is not so enlightened. Especially as Harry now has her as a familiar."

"What exactly is a familiar?" Harry asked. "I thought Hedwig would have been a familiar."

"Well, you are not wholly wrong. Familiars can be animals, but sentient beings can be as well. There were darker times when wizards and witches bound sentient beings as familiars against their will. The House Elves, I believe, are an unfortunately irrevocable product of that time. However, a proper familiar bond, one entered into voluntarily by the familiar, is one of symbiosis, and given that you are both, effectively, the same being, just with different natures and personalities…Darkstalkers were coveted familiars, though few would deign to do so. Lesser Succubi were amongst the few who did, for somewhat obvious reasons. It is thought that Dementors were Succubi corrupted by dark wizards in order to become more effective weapons, inspiring fear and sorrow rather than lust."

"The upshot is, I am Harry's guardian," Lilith said. "I have been his friend and confidante since before you finally deigned to let him know his heritage. And if he dies, I die too. Which, even if I wasn't well-disposed towards him, would be reason enough to keep him alive and well."

"I can tell. Through my Legilimency probe, brief though it was, I can see the affection and understanding you two share." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "You know, my dear girl, your face reminds me a little of a Succubus I once met. She was a little irritated that I was not interested in her, though. Morrigan Aensland, I believe her name was."

Lilith blinked. "Morrigan…I know that name…why do I know that name?"

"Well, while I am not sure how you would know, she is the heiress to her father Belial, the ruler of Makai," Dumbledore said.

"Makai?" Harry asked. He had heard that term before from Lilith.

"Loosely translated, the Demon Realm, though distinct from what most people consider Hell, as it is not a place of punishment for the damned," Sirius explained. "My family's infamous for dealing with Darkstalkers before. Even I've heard of Morrigan and her father, Belial."

"The familiar bond has done you some good, Harry," Dumbledore pointed out. "How do you feel?"

How did he feel? He had been feeling exhausted, and a little shaky, not to mention with some aches here and there…but now he felt good. No, better than he ever did. "…Great," he said a little bemusedly.

"Succubi normally feed off dreams or souls, or else are sustained through physical or mental excitement," Dumbledore pointed out. "But they can also feed off raw magical energy. Lilith is effectively sharing your magical energy…but because she herself is a magical creature, the magic she feeds back into your body is even more powerful, refined, converted into the magical energy of the Darkstalkers. In a way, it almost makes you a Darkstalker yourself. But as that delightful Muggle comic puts it, with great power comes great responsibility."

"And tends to make people think you're either the second coming of Merlin, or the next Dark Lord," Sirius snarked.

"Still," Dumbledore said, "I think we should have Poppy take a look at you anyway, Harry. You have been through a lot, far more than you should ever have had to, and at the very least, some rest and peace will do you a world of good. Lilith, I would ask that you stay in a somewhat human guise. For the time being, we will stick to your story. I would also suggest only telling those you trust absolutely, Harry: as I have said before, Darkstalkers are not kindly thought of in Magical Britain…"

* * *

The Weasleys and Hermione were waiting in the hospital wing around a harried-looking Pomfrey. And after Harry was put to sleep by Pomfrey, Lilith was left to face the music, the Weasleys and Hermione. Or rather, their questions.

It was rather irritating to Lilith. Her cover story was, admittedly, somewhat flimsy, especially to those who knew Harry best. Thankfully, Dumbledore was able to confirm it, and she had never been more thankful that these damned sheep took his word as gospel.

But should she reveal herself to them? Her true nature? That Molly Weasley woman seemed like a self-righteous harridan, not actually bad, but she would probably react badly to Harry being bound to a Succubus, or indeed any Darkstalker. And Lilith wasn't so sure about Ron's trustworthiness after that little fit of jealousy prior to the First Task. Bill was a possibility: being a Cursebreaker and well-travelled meant he might be more likely to have a broader mind.

However, the only person Lilith intended to tell, albeit in private, was Hermione. Now, this took considerable thought and consideration. She was immensely loyal to Harry, true, but she had this annoying faith in authority figures, especially Dumbledore and her teachers. Well, save for things like where House Elves were concerned. But Hermione's personal loyalty to Harry was, if not absolute, then stronger than Ron.

However, now was not the time. Lilith knew that she had to find a pretext to speak to Hermione alone, away from the Weasleys. Well, those twins might be helpful as well. Their loyalty to Harry was good too. Enough to weather the revelation that he had a Succubus as a familiar.

Of course, there were other factors at play. How would the Death Eaters react? How would the Ministry? And she had to wonder about Dumbledore's comment, that she resembled Morrigan Aensland. Why did she? And why did that name sound so familiar?

* * *

In Castle Aensland, in the land of Makai, its ruler, Belial, was troubled. He frequently was, as is many a ruler. And while this wasn't an important affair of state he was worried about, it was still personally important.

He had felt what felt like a massive surge of power, one that felt like, and yet unlike, his own daughter. His daughter was sleeping in her bedroom (or rather, had been, until the surge of power) when it happened, for once, as he'd sent Lucien and Mudo to check. So he sent them to check the pocket dimension he had stored that third of Morrigan's power…only to find it empty, with a cicatrise, a scar in space-time, leading to the Department of Mysteries in the British Ministry of Magic. Which meant those damned wizards had stolen it, about sixteen years prior.

The power came not from within Makai, but within the human world. Of course, only one with that power would have felt that surge. And as he contained part of Morrigan's power within him…

What to do, then? Belial didn't become ruler of Makai through force alone, though it was a key factor in his ascension. Darkstalkers tended only to respect force, after all. It was how he defeated Demitri Maximoff, or Jedah Domah. But he was also intelligent, too. And while the third of Morrigan's power that had been locked away had been stolen, it didn't necessarily mean by an enemy of Makai.

But what had actually happened? He felt no pull on his share of Morrigan's power, the pull that would ensure that Morrigan would regain that part of her power once she was ready. Had the power become its own entity? Possible, but a disturbing development.

He could not leave Makai, either. His power had diminished. But he could still sense the power, and its rough location: Hogwarts. He decided to send Morrigan to investigate…discreetly.

Or as discreetly as she could manage…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Dumbledore and Sirius are aware of Lilith's true nature…and Belial now knows that he has a third of Morrigan's power running around on the loose. And Morrigan is coming to visit Hogwarts…oh dear. This can only end well…**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	4. Chapter 3: Succubi, Wizards and Demons

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **SUCCUBI, WIZARDS AND DEMONS**

Morrigan frowned as she listened to her father's confession. She wasn't actually angry at him: he had explained his reasons for dividing her power, in order that she can grow used to her power. Belial's third of her power would revert to her on his death.

No, it was this other third that was most concerning. "Father," she said, "why was this other third of my power not monitored?"

A sigh that sounded like the distant rumbling of a quiescent volcano, before a voice that sounded like a storm given voice, despite its soft and quiet nature, rang out. " ** _I did not think it necessary. I checked it every half a century, or at least the integrity of the pocket dimension. However, my confidence that nobody would find it was misplaced._** "

"A rare mistake this is," the short demon attendant Mudo spoke. "Trouble yourself on it, you should not, my lord."

"I agree," Morrigan said. "What's done is done, and you had no way of knowing that those fools could breach the pocket dimension. And the power was felt was sensed at Hogwarts?"

" ** _Yes. Originally, it was in another part of Britain, but I have sensed it at Hogwarts. My daughter, I task you with finding that power. I suspect that it may have developed into another entity. If that is the case, invite them to meet me here. I will decide what to do then._** "

"And if they resist?"

" ** _Subdue them, non-lethally. I know how much you enjoy combat, Morrigan, and I ask you only that you show the restraint required of my heir._** "

"Your will be done, Father," Morrigan said.

* * *

It was the next day. Harry just wanted to get away from everything, so he went down to the Black Lake, Lilith in tow. Lilith's presence had raised a lot of questions with his friends, especially considering that Harry and Lilith seemed to know each other well. It got aggravating, and it was worse when the Minister denied that Voldemort had revived. Oh, and Barty Crouch Junior had been given the fucking Dementor's Kiss, thanks to Fudge's idiocy.

Harry, therefore, was in a bit of a mood, and so too was Lilith. It took some doing to get Ron and Hermione to hold their questions until Harry was ready (and it was Dumbledore who persuaded them to do so). Harry hoped that Hermione wouldn't go as quixotic as she did earlier in the year when House Elves came up, and, well, given how Ron treated him earlier in the school year, he wasn't sure how he'd take the news of Harry having a Succubus as a familiar. Dumbledore and Sirius seemed open-minded about it, at least, and Dumbledore was hinting that he might not even have Harry return to the Dursleys. Nothing more than hinting, though.

"Damn nosey old goat, poking his nose into my mind," Lilith muttered bitterly.

"I don't like it either, but he probably wanted to see if you were a threat," Harry said.

"Yeah, well, I am, to anyone who is a threat to you. I'm going to demand that he has us stay somewhere other than in that…menagerie."

"You mean with the Dursleys?" Harry asked.

"Yes. The Walrus, the Giraffe, and the Baby Whale," Lilith said. "If he forces us to stay with them, I am so raping their minds into leaving us alone."

"Oh, sounds like fun. I might join in if you cooperate."

The Scottish-sounding purr emanated from seemingly nowhere, before a woman appeared. She had green hair, wearing something like a black leotard that nonetheless exposed a lot more of her buxom body than it should, the neckline lined with what looked like feathers. Her legs were covered in stockings that had bat-like images printed on them. A pair of bat-like wings protruded from her back, and a much smaller pair protruded from her head. Her face was beautiful, inhumanly so, and her light green eyes twinkled with mischief. In fact, there was much about her that resembled Lilith in her own Succubus form.

Harry blinked. "Who are you? Another Succubus?"

"Quick on the uptake, aren't you, human?" the Succubus asked. "Rest easy, I'm not here for you." She looked at Lilith. "I'm here for you. I am Morrigan Aensland. Come with me, please. You have something of mine."

"What do you mean, I have something of yours? I've never met you in my life," Lilith retorted.

"Maybe, but that doesn't alter the fact that my father and I need to talk to you. You are invited to an audience with him. And it doesn't do to keep Belial Aensland, the ruler of Makai, waiting."

"Hey, where she goes, I go," Harry said, glaring at Morrigan. "And don't you think you're conspicuous, turning up like that?"

"I erected wards before I showed myself, the wizards can't see us. And I'm asking this one to come with me politely. Humans aren't invited."

"Like Harry said, where I go, he goes," Lilith said. "You've got a problem with that?"

"I don't know. Wait, Harry?" Morrigan peered at his face, or rather, his scarred forehead. "Oh, if it isn't Harry Potter? So, what's the Boy Who Lived doing hanging out with a Succubus?"

"I'm his familiar."

Morrigan wheeled on Lilith, peering into her eyes. Eventually, she said, "I think you both had better come with me, then. Don't worry, we'll bring you back as soon as we can."

As she opened a rip in mid-air, Harry said, "Wait, who said we're going with YOOUUU?!" This last part was due to Morrigan grabbing hold of them both and leaping through the rip in the air…

* * *

…And they were suddenly elsewhere. In some sort of audience chamber of a castle, with a curtained-off area. Harry was on his feet, pointing his wand at Morrigan. "Okay, that's the second time I've been kidnapped by magical means in as many days!"

Morrigan looked at his wand, amused. "And the first thing you do is whip out your pointy thing and poke it at a woman. Men, you never change. You could've bought me a drink first."

" ** _Morrigan, that's enough._** "

The voice was calm, but deep and powerful. Lilith glared at the curtained-off area. "A bit late, considering she kidnapped us."

" ** _She brought you here on my instructions, child. She was instructed to invite you here, or bring you here if you were being recalcitrant_** ," the voice rumbled. " ** _I am Belial Aensland, the ruler of Makai. Morrigan is my heir. And you, child, are something of an anomaly._** "

"Don't you dare call her an anomaly!" Harry snapped.

"And don't you dare speak to my father with such disrespect, _human_ ," Morrigan retorted coldly.

"Excuse me? You kidnapped me on his orders, and then he calls Lilith an anomaly, and you expect me to speak to him with respect?"

Morrigan opened her mouth to retort, only for Belial's voice to ring out. " ** _Morrigan, some of his anger is justified. I will tolerate this, for now. Child…Lilith. Approach._** "

Lilith stood her ground, glaring at the curtained-off area. A sigh that sounded like a gale. " ** _Approach now. I need to check you before I make a decision._** "

"I don't trust you," Lilith said. Suddenly, she was pulled through the air, and then dropped in front of the curtains. Harry rushed to her side in an instant.

The voice of Belial seemed surprised when he spoke next. " ** _This is unexpected._** "

"What, that I'd help her?"

" ** _No. You have shown yourself willing to defend her. No…your souls have fused into one. This is…surprising._** "

"What does this mean, Father?" Morrigan asked.

After a moment, Belial spoke, " ** _Lilith, wizard…I should apologise for the necessity of bringing you here for something that has since proved unfruitful. Perhaps I should explain. When I first adopted Morrigan, she held a great power. Too great, in fact, for her to hold. So I divided her power into thirds. One third I allowed her to keep. Another third, I kept within myself, to be released to her when I perish. And another third was locked into a pocket dimension for safekeeping. Or so I thought. I recently found out that the wizards of your world breached that dimension over sixteen years before. Hmm, yes, your scar. You are the one called Harry Potter, wizard. It seems that somehow, you gained the power that once belonged to Morrigan…and with it, a familiar._** "

"And?" Harry demanded.

"Yes, Father. What next? Can we get the power from them?" Morrigan asked.

" ** _The only way to do so is to kill them both. But I won't do that._** "

"Oh? And why is that, Father?" Morrigan asked. She didn't sound disappointed, more curious than anything else.

" ** _I believe that Lilith is the part of you that was sealed away, made flesh. Normally, there would be a link between you two. Once out of the pocket dimension, you would be drawn to each other, to become one being again. But you don't feel that, do you?_** "

"…No."

" ** _It is because Harry's soul and Lilith's fused at an early stage. The link is broken, and killing them will not release the power to you. And in any case, those of Makai are already on bad enough terms with wizards in general. We needn't draw unnecessary ire by killing their saviour._** "

"Thank you," Harry said acidly. "And I didn't ask to be considered their saviour."

The chuckle emanating from the curtained-off area sounded like distant thunder. " ** _I'm sure you didn't. But the wizarding world is filled with fools, though the same could be said about humanity in general…and even we Darkstalkers. But inadvertently or not, you are now part of a greater world than even that of Magical Britain. Voldemort will not be your only foe now that you have Lilith bound to you. There are many of our kind who may target you to seek revenge by proxy against my daughter and I, despite the fact that we have only just met. Demitri Maximoff, for example._** "

"Who?" Harry asked.

"A most arrogant vampire," Morrigan remarked haughtily. "My father exiled him to your realm centuries ago when he attempted a _coup d'etat_. He and I have clashed on occasion. And Father, would Night Warriors be of any concern for them?"

" ** _Potentially._** "

"Night Warriors?" Lilith asked.

"Humans who hunt Darkstalkers," Morrigan explained. "I know of two. One, Donovan, tends to hunt down Darkstalkers who prey on humans. Another, Baby Bonny Hood, is considerably less discriminate, murdering those who are merely trying to live a normal life, for money. While I can handle them, you are still something of a fledgling, even if you have part of my power. I have three centuries of experience over you."

"She tore apart a whole gathering of Death Eaters with ease," Harry said. "She's not weak, and she can fight well."

" ** _Death Eaters may be powerful wizards, but Night Warriors push themselves to human limits and beyond_** ," Belial said. " ** _They need to, in order to be able to fight Darkstalkers._** "

"Oh joy, more people after us," Harry said flatly. "That's all I need."

"You should be used to that, Harry," Morrigan said with a careless shrug. "You've already had Voldemort on your case since you were a baby. And you've doubtless had sycophants sucking up to you to bathe in the reflected glory of your fame. I've had men and women chasing me for centuries for various reasons, whether they wanted me dead, or merely in their bed. I'm sure the same can be said for you."

" ** _Morrigan, there is a time and a place for such levity_** ," Belial chided his daughter softly. " ** _This is not it._** " Harry then felt the ruler of Makai's attention come back to him, even if he couldn't see so much as a glowing eye or two in the darkness of the curtained-off area. No, just an unnerving attention from the shadows, as if the very shadows were a single eye. " ** _As this is partly the result of a decision I have made, I should take some responsibility. You both have been thrown into a world somewhat beyond your ken. Lilith is effectively Morrigan's sister, and Lilith cannot live without Harry. And as my heir seems determined to defy my will and visit the human world, perhaps she would like to act as your guard and a trainer, to get your skills to a level that would be considered respectable for a scion of Makai._** "

"Uhh, what?"

"He means I get to be your bodyguard and tor…I mean, trainer. You're pretty scrawny, you know. Wizards, don't know the first thing about physical fitness," Morrigan said with a scoff.

"He's scrawny partly because the humans he was left with are spiteful, pathetic specimens of their species, who treated him like a damned slave," Lilith scowled.

Morrigan peered more closely at Harry, before remarking, "And yet, the wizards put you up on a pedestal."

" ** _The wizards are credulous fools, even if their folly and foibles are merely those of humanity magnified_** ," Belial said. " ** _We will return you to Hogwarts soon, before your presence is missed for too long. Morrigan will be accompanying you both. I believe she has met the Headmaster on a prior occasion._** "

"How was I to know he was gay?" Morrigan scowled. "Back then, he was a real looker. But no, he had eyes only for Gellert, and look how well that turned out! And we didn't part on the best of terms."

" ** _Nonetheless, Morrigan, you will accompany them as bodyguard and trainer_** ," Belial said. " ** _And please be discreet, my daughter. I know that is sometimes a foreign concept for you._** "

"Discretion, a foreign concept to me?" Morrigan asked with blatantly false innocence. "Father, you wound me so."

"Don't we get a say in the matter?" Harry asked.

Lilith shot him a look. "Maybe…but if we can get stronger, enough to face Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and any Night Warriors or Darkstalkers, then I'll take what I can get…even if I'm still not sure we can trust either of them."

Morrigan walked up behind Lilith, and hugged her from behind, albeit in a vaguely seductive manner. "Don't be like that, my adorable little sister. I'm going to be sticking by you two for a while. I'm sure it will be interesting, to say the least," the Succubus purred.

"That's not reassuring," Harry said…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Lilith have met Belial and Morrigan, and have gotten the truth out of him. Unfortunately, they now have a gooseberry in the form of Morrigan. Joy.**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	5. Chapter 4: Serious Talks

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **SERIOUS TALKS**

Shortly after arriving back at Hogwarts, they headed back to the castle itself. Morrigan removed away her batwings, and exchanged her clothes for a simple white shirt and dark trousers, though the latter seemed to be painted-on, and the former was straining from her bust. She wore a cloak over the whole ensemble, if only to go with the whole being incognito amongst wizards and witches thing…theoretically, anyway. She kept the green hair, but cited 'Metamorphmagi' as a justification.

It was not long after they got inside that they encountered a problem. Namely Dumbledore, who was striding up to meet them, only to freeze upon seeing Morrigan, whose facial features hadn't actually changed. "Well, well, well, long time, no see, Albus," Morrigan purred.

"Morrigan," Dumbledore said quietly. "So you are the one the wards sensed."

"Yes. I suppose an explanation is in order…"

* * *

Harry was led back to the hospital wing, along with Lilith, for a check-up, while Dumbledore went to speak with Morrigan. The old wizard was fretting slightly at the thought of one of the most powerful Darkstalkers, not to mention the heiress to Belial Aensland himself, being present here. But he also knew that, while Morrigan was a creature of whims and hedonism, she was also intelligent, and didn't generally attack humans out of malice.

"May I ask what you are doing here?" Dumbledore asked, keeping the Elder Wand at the ready, even if concealed. He hoped he didn't have to use it.

"You may. And I may actually answer, Albus. Oh, and try not to point that little toy gifted to Antioch Peverell at me. I'm not here to harm you or Potter. Quite the opposite. Father has tasked me with Harry's protection, and that of my cute little sister."

Dumbledore frowned. "Lilith is your sister? Could you please explain that?"

* * *

After the check-up, Hermione had come to visit Harry and Lilith. With Pomfrey out of earshot for now, Lilith decided to take the risk. And Hermione, upon learning this, was staring at them both. "You have a Succubus as a familiar," Hermione said flatly, looking at Harry. "One who has been part of your soul since before you were born."

"Yes," Harry said. "You're taking this better than I thought."

"I think it's because I'm in shock. I mean, you've never done things normally, Harry. I'm just…" She closed her eyes, and took some calming breaths, before looking over at Lilith. "And you won't harm him, or anyone who isn't a threat to him?"

Lilith nodded. "I'm feeding off his magic. It's a symbiotic relationship."

Again, Hermione took time to absorb this, before saying, "I can't say I'm happy about it. I mean, being bonded to a Darkstalker is going to paint a bigger target on Harry's back than before if it gets out. But if that's really what your relationship is like, I'm happy for you. But we can't tell Ron. Not that you're a Darkstalker, Lilith. He can't keep a secret that well."

"There's more," Harry said. "The Succubus Lilith's power originally came from, Morrigan Aensland, is here. She's been tasked by her father to act as my bodyguard. Oh, and he's the ruler of Makai."

Hermione just simply gaped. After a moment, Lilith remarked, "You break it, you buy it, Harry. And I don't think there's any warranty left for her."

Eventually, Hermione got her brain back into working order. "Definitely not telling Ron about that. He'd go spare…"

* * *

"…So that is why you are now in our realm," Dumbledore mused. "Your father has deemed Lilith, and thus Harry, worthy of protection."

"Yes. I'll admit, I was a little annoyed to learn that he divided my power like that, but even the power I have now is enough to put me amongst the higher ranks of Darkstalkers, and that I have gained through training with what my father left me. Of course, wizarding spells can still affect a Darkstalker. To one as powerful as I, the Killing Curse won't kill me with one hit, but it would still leave something of a mark. Our concern is if Voldemort decides to hire the services of a Night Warrior to attack Harry and Lilith. Some wouldn't care that killing one would kill the other."

Dumbledore nodded. "It was something I considered myself when Lilith revealed her true nature. If Lilith revealed that she was his familiar in the graveyard, then Voldemort, through his supporters in the Wizengamot, could have persuaded Fudge to fund it, or even send one of their hatchetmen used normally to control Dark Creatures. However, I think it more likely that they will secretly fund a Night Warrior."

"Probably BB Hood. She's notoriously mercenary," Morrigan said. "She's about as old as Harry, but while she's all-human in body, she's also has the heart and soul of a demon, and a cruel one at that."

Dumbledore nodded sagely. He knew a little about the various Night Warriors, and in the short time since she became active, BB Hood had become notorious. And Night Warriors had to be good enough to fight on a par with Darkstalkers. He hoped Remus would be fine with the mission he had just sent him on.

Out loud, he said, "Lady Morrigan…while I am grateful that you and your father have made this offer, the truth is that Harry's relatives, with whom he will be living with during the summer until we are ready to take him to other lodgings, are not the most open-minded of people. I fear I may have done Harry a grave disservice in leaving him there."

"Then why do you?" Morrigan asked.

"Blood Wards, keyed to Voldemort and, thanks to the Dark Mark, his followers. With Dark Creatures, they are tricky, but will discern based on intent, I believe. That house keeps Harry safe from Voldemort. If you must stay with him, please ensure that his relatives do not bother him…and without harming them. I should really tell them about those. Harry and Lilith, I mean. If only to prevent your sister from killing them."

"I have my ways of dealing with problem people, many of them non-lethal," Morrigan said with a smile. "Why, I'm the very picture of tact and diplomacy!"

Dumbledore seriously doubted that. After all, her innocent expression fooled nobody, especially not him…

* * *

There was a pub known to a number of types, an isolated bar avoided by most people. Like the legendary Yellow Flag bar of Roanapur in Thailand, it was filled with undesirables. Unlike the Yellow Flag, many of the clientele, strictly speaking, weren't human.

This place, known as _The Cloven Hoof(_ _1)_ , was in Whitby, Yorkshire, a place made famous as the setting for much of Bram Stoker's novel, _Dracula_. This was actually something of a bit of dark humour on the part of the proprietors. It was a place where the creatures of the night could gather, something of neutral ground.

Which was why Remus Lupin was here.

After being ushered into a private room by the proprietor, Remus sat down and waited. He was here to speak with an old acquaintance of his. Not a friend by any means, but not an enemy either. Rather, a fellow werewolf called Jon Talbain. He was on a mission from Dumbledore, one that he knew was going to have mixed success. And he already knew what Talbain was likely to say to that proposal. It was the more personal one Remus wanted to know about.

The door opened, and a tall, handsome-looking man with a shock of silver hair standing on end walked in. He looked muscular and somewhat sardonic, and deceptively young, despite him being one of the oldest living werewolves. However, to Remus' annoyance, and perhaps fear, at least initially, he hadn't come alone. Though his fear abated when he saw who it was.

The other person looked like a woman, virtually naked, save for patches of what looked like white fluffy cloth on her breasts and groin. In fact, this was fur. Her legs and hands were white-furred oversized paws, and a white tail twitched excitedly from where it protruded from her rear. Her beautiful features were framed by thick tresses of sky blue hair, and she seemed to possess a pair of white cat ears.

"Good afternoon, Jon," Remus said. "But I thought I'd asked for you to come alone."

"Yes, and I ignored you. I don't take orders from you, Lupin," Jon Talbain said. "Any more than I'd take orders from Greyback or that snake he follows."

"Don't be like that, Jon," complained the young woman, speaking with an American accent. "Sheesh, I thought I'd managed to get you to lighten up a little."

"You thought wrong. Anyway, Lupin, this is…"

"Felicia, yes, I know. Something of a famous singer in the US," Remus said. "MACUSA has one hell of a time trying to cover up the fact that you're not in costume. It's a pleasure to meet you, though. I enjoy your work."

Felicia smiled. "Why, thank you! You're a more pleasant guy than this grump!"

Jon indicated the catwoman. "I picked up this stray while on the run from Night Warriors in Boston. We've been travelling together for a while. Just friends, though."

Remus nodded. His nose could tell that Jon thought of Felicia as such…and that Felicia, while she didn't mind if they were something more, accepted this. "Can you trust her?"

"In important things, yes," Jon said. "Anyway, let's hear what you have to say. Or rather, what Dumbledore has to say through you."

Remus sighed quietly. "Well, Dumbledore asked me to go around to some of the packs, and ask them to ally with us. Or, at the very least, not ally with Voldemort, who has regained a body. I told him this was a fool's errand, given how badly our kind have been treated by the Ministry, and other such organisations across the world, but…"

"He still views the world with rose-tinted glasses," Jon sneered. "Stupid old bastard. Felicia may be an optimist, but she at least understands more than Dumbledore did. You can tell him, from me, that he won't expect me or anyone else I know to be his cannon fodder." His expression softened. "That being said, I won't say no to sabotaging packs submitting to Voldemort. Greyback still flees with his tail literally between his legs at the sight of me. Can't say I'm surprised at Voldemort being back. I've seen Darkstalkers as tenacious as he probably is."

"That's probably the best I could ask for," Remus said, disappointed, but understanding. "However, I had another request, Jon."

"Hmm?"

"It's more of a personal request. I tried to get a hold of you sooner, but you were in the US at the time. Over a year ago, I forgot my Wolfsbane potion due to various issues, and lost control of Moony. I very nearly attacked and killed my honorary nephew and his friends. And you put yourself through training to control your wolf. I ask that you consider teaching me."

Jon frowned, leaning back in his chair, and thinking about it. "I made the offer to you just before you started teaching in Dumbledore's little fiefdom, and you refused," he said, the rebuke clear even in his gruff tone.

"Jon…he's asking for your help now," Felicia said.

"Maybe…but I have too much on my plate for now to train you personally," Jon said. "But I will give you pointers. A lot of what you can do, you can do with mundane martial arts, particularly those revolving around meditation and mental discipline. The rest, what my own sensei taught me, I will give you my notes on before long."

Remus sighed quietly. "That's better than I could have hoped for, given my earlier rejection. Also, Dumbledore is now looking for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I know it's a pretty big ask, but do you know of anyone able and willing to fill the role for next year?"

"Nobody that the Ministry wouldn't object to," Jon scoffed. "There's a couple of Night Warriors I know who'd be great, but they wouldn't take it for one reason or another. There's a Night Warrior called Donovan, but I doubt he'd want to take it up, and if the Ministry finds out he's a Dhampir, they'd come after him. And you don't want BB Hood for obvious reasons."

Remus shuddered at the thought. "What about Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, Jon?" Felicia asked.

"Three good reasons, Felicia. Firstly, they're Chinese, and the Ministry here doesn't take kindly to foreign nationals meddling in their business. Secondly, they're young enough to still be going to Hogwarts. And thirdly, Hsien-Ko is a Jiang Shi."

Remus winced. All three points, especially the last one, would cause the Ministry to obstruct her, if not outright attack her. Jiang Shi were a form of Chinese vampire that drained lifeforce rather than blood, and not many of them were benign. "What are their skills, anyway?"

"Technically, Hsien-Ko is the Jiang Shi, and her sister, Mei-Ling, acts as a living seal to prevent her from losing her humanity. They're both expert exorcists, with Hsien-Ko acting as the physical fighter, and Mei-Ling works more on the mystical side of things. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering whether they'd be amenable to a commission. With Voldemort's return, we might need novel means of stopping him, and a Chinese exorcist might be what we need."

Jon looked uncertain at that, before he reluctantly nodded. "I'll get in touch with them. We've met a couple of times before. But keep in mind, Lupin, they're not pawns for Dumbledore to shuffle about on a board. And neither are we. I'll send you a copy of your little regimen you will need to train to channel your wolf. And I'll have Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling get in touch with Dumbledore later. Incidentally, I have contacts within the Ministry. You'd better tell Dumbledore and the Boy Wonder to watch their backs. Fudge has Malfoy whispering in his ear about how Potter is delusional, and Dumbledore seeks to overthrow him. Which is bullshit, of course, but given how much Malfoy has funded Fudge's lifestyle, and how unwilling Fudge would be to face the fact that Voldemort would be back…well, you guys have your work cut out for you when your own government's against you…"

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Hermione knows the truth, Morrigan and Dumbledore have had a wee chat, and Lupin has met with Jon Talbain and Felicia. But what next?**

 **Review-answering time! I responded to** **Yorae Rasante** **'s review in correspondence, but I should reiterate what I told them here. To avoid unfortunate implications for the pairing, Lilith does not look as young as she does in the games and comics. She looks a little older. Because I shifted Harry's age up a year, as has been my wont to do of late, he's nearly sixteen, and she looks about the same. Lilith will age in appearance alongside Harry until she reaches her twenties. And because they are effectively the same being, Harry gets the same benefits, so they're immortal…but far from invincible.**

 **NecrorexSparda Juubi-no-Kishin** **: Damn, your name is complicated. Anyway, I sometimes do mass updates to try and act as a gift for my readers. Unfortunately, it's also hell on my creativity, so I can't do them that often. Really, I should stop. And** ** _Darkstalkers_** **is, as mentioned above, a Capcom fighting game series like** ** _Street Fighter_** **. But for some reason, probably due to the OVA from the 90s, there are two categories for** ** _Darkstalkers_** **, one in the games section, and one in the anime section. As the anime section is the one to have character tags, I chose to post it there.**

 **Detinc** **: I have considered doing an** ** _Okami_** **fic before (I still have the original PS2 game, and I'm considering buying the remastered update when it comes out on Steam), but never found the right one. The closest I came was to adopting the concept of one of sakurademonalchemist's** ** _Naruto_** **crossovers,** ** _Celestial Fuin_** **, and I didn't get very far with that. I'm not saying I won't ever do one, but that's firmly on the backburner.**

 **Lexarius** **: I hadn't thought of that (a missed opportunity, that), but Lilith toned down her aura.**

 **Battlesny** **: I'd imagine it's certainly a form of narcissism if you had the same personality. God, I remember that joke in the** ** _Red Dwarf_** **episode** ** _Camille_** **where the titular Camille was a pleasure GELF (genetically-engineered life-form) who would appear differently to different people as their ideal mate. Kryten, Lister and Rimmer all encounter women who looked like their ideal women…and the Cat, when he tries, ends up facing an exact copy of himself.**

 **Blade of Iron** **: I don't think anyone is mentally equipped to answer that kind of philosophical question.**

 **KongKing94** **: Morrigan won't be part of the pairing, yet, anyway. Look, she's over 300, and Harry and Lilith are coming up to their 16** **th** **. She'd probably wait a few years before she decided to join in, though she would maybe flirt a little to tease them.**

 **Kaiser Dragon** **: Normally, I wouldn't take such a suggestion, but that actually has merit, the Deathly Hallows being created by the Lords of Makai. I know Belial and Jedah were part of that group.**

 **Jimbo Jones** **: Be patient. There'll still be a clusterfuck of epic proportions when the Death Eaters' plans (namely, hiring BB Hood) collide with Umbridge's.**

 **1\. This is a reference to the pub in the village of Devil's End in the** ** _Doctor Who_** **story,** ** _The Daemons_** **. That being said the village is presumably set in Wiltshire, like the location used for filming, Aldbourne. Whitby is in Yorkshire.**


	6. Chapter 5: Laying Down the Law

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **LAYING DOWN THE LAW**

Thankfully, Ron bought the story about Morrigan being Lilith's sister, intending to look out for them. Morrigan decided to claim that she and Lilith were variations on Veela. Which wasn't far from the truth: somewhere, millennia ago, Succubi and Veela shared ancestry. It was why the Veela had their allure, though they didn't feed on people's souls, and didn't live for centuries.

Apparently, Hermione had dragged Morrigan away to interrogate her about Darkstalkers and Makai. Morrigan seemed both bemused and even amused by the whole thing. After all, it was rare that a human ever actually asked her for information on these things.

The Leaving Feast was solemn, held in remembrance of Cedric. Harry knew that there would be many, like Fudge, who wouldn't believe that Voldemort was back. And others, especially amongst the Slytherins, who would help their Death Eater families tarnish their reputation.

As they departed on the train for King's Cross, Harry thought back to the night he was summoned to Dumbledore's office. He had to say, he wasn't pleased when he learned a few things, first and foremost why he had to go back to the Dursleys. When he protested, Dumbledore pointed out that this time, Morrigan and Lilith would be there to protect him from his relatives, and that hopefully, Harry wouldn't need to stay long.

He also said that a rather vile piece of magic had been removed from Harry long ago, leaving him the ability to use Parseltongue. Though Dumbledore seemed disturbed when Lilith casually mentioned eating a 'fragment of soul' long ago. And apparently Dumbledore and Morrigan had come to something of an agreement on some matter or other. Including teaching Harry something called 'Occlumency'. Apparently, once Harry and Lilith learned enough, Dumbledore intended to divulge some more information.

Morrigan did admit to Hermione and Ron that she would be teaching Occlumency as she sat with them in the train carriage. "What's Occlumency?" Ron asked.

"A relatively obscure branch of magic, though a good portion of it isn't actually magic, but mental and psychological discipline," Morrigan said. "In fact, a good Occlumency technique is what the Muggle call 'method of loci', or a memory palace."

"I've heard of those," Hermione said, ignoring Ron's muttered ' _of COURSE you would have_ '. "But what is Occlumency used for?"

"Basically protecting your mind from magical attack, or Legilimency," Morrigan said.

Harry frowned, remembering Dumbledore reading Lilith's mind and calling it that. "It's crudely speaking mind-reading," Lilith explained. "Of course, a mind is more chaotic than you'd think, so you can't exactly read it like a book."

"But memory palaces are used to organise memory," Hermione said. "Wouldn't that make it more vulnerable?"

"Not if you place defences. For example, if your memory palace is a castle, you could have cannons, knights, archers…you could even place a dragon there," Morrigan said. "Now, a skilled Legilimens can't just read your mind, but tear it apart, force people to relive their worst memories or even have their memories corrupted, unable to tell false memories from true. Few Legilimens can do that, and it takes a lot of magical power, which is why they generally favour using the Imperius or Memory Charms, as they do similar things for less magic."

"Bloody hell," Ron said weakly, staring at them. "And You Know Who was a Legilimens?"

"Call him Voldemort," Morrigan said, smirking at Ron's wince. "He won't have placed the Taboo Spell on his name yet. And yes. Legilimency is a rarely learned art, though, if only because of the difficulty involved. Occlumency is also difficult, but a useful skill to have, and probably easier to learn, depending on the teacher."

"Can you teach us, Morrigan?" Hermione asked, the Succubus having insisted that Hermione call her by her first name.

"Certainly. I should have plenty of opportunities," Morrigan said.

They then went into a discussion about Rita Skeeter being an illegal Animagus, before Draco Malfoy and his goons made an appearance. And when he began to taunt Harry over the death of Cedric, Lilith seemed set to attack, only for Morrigan to put a hand on the lavender-haired Succubus' shoulder, and got up herself. "Oh, how naughty of you, to taunt your peer over the murder of an innocent," she said with a predatory smirk. "But then again, empty vessels frequently make the most noise."

"And you are?" Draco sneered.

"Beyond anything you can handle." Morrigan then stood in the doorway, forcing Malfoy and his goons out by little more than her presence and confidence. "Your father gets on bended knee to fellate that ophidian abomination he calls a master. Voldemort is nothing special, just another monster with an ego in inverse proportion to his penis size who uses power and fear to compensate. Harry Potter, Lilith, their friends, and indeed, the entire population of Hogwarts is under my protection, save for those who align themselves with Voldemort. I care not for your petty squabbles over blood purity, save where it impacts me and mine. In fact, I can smell the heady scent of inbreeding in you. Tell me…was your mother also your sister?"

Malfoy roared in fury, whipping out his wand, only for Morrigan to snatch it from his hand…and then, she crushed it within one hand. "You get one chance. That was it. The next time you try to hurt me or those under my protection…I will crush more than your wand." Suddenly, an oppressive presence filled the carriage, like the aura of a Dementor. No, not like that. Fear was caused by the aura, but it was a product rather than something pervading the aura. No, it was an aura of power, a sheer overwhelming pressure that made those present feel like they were at the bottom of the ocean. Harry wrinkled his nose when he smelled what had to be at least one if not all three of the interlopers soiling themselves.

"I'll…tell…my…father…about…this…" Malfoy croaked out his favourite comeback cum threat.

"Indeed, please do so. Warn him that crossing me will be the gravest of errors…and the last he will ever make," Morrigan said.

The pressure went away, and Malfoy and his goons made an undignified exit, their robes dripping mephitic fluids. The Twins entered shortly thereafter, and once they had cleaned the floor several times with _Scourgify_ spells, promptly got to their hands and knees and started worshipping Morrigan as a goddess for humiliating Malfoy and his bookends, much to the amusement of almost everyone present.

The rest of the journey passed with a few games of Exploding Snap, the Twins discussing Bagman and his defrauding them of the bet they won at the Quidditch World Cup, and their curiosity about Morrigan and Lilith. Then, finally, they pulled in at King's Cross Station, Harry giving the Twins his prize money, as capital for their shop.

After saying his farewells to his friends and to Molly Weasley, Harry, along with Lilith and Morrigan went over to Vernon, who scowled. "I received a letter," he said stiffly and gruffly. "Apparently you are lodging with us."

"Oh believe me, Mr Dursley, I want to be in your presence as much as you want to be in mine. I am here for my sister's sake, as well as that of your nephew. We'll discuss things further when we get back to your house…"

* * *

Morrigan had already heard the horror stories from Harry and Lilith about the Dursleys, and her first impressions only seemed to shore up that perception. Vernon was a big, blustering bullying boar, boor, and bore of a man, with delusions of affluence when in reality he was full of effluence. He was obsessed with normality, which equated to being upwardly mobile in his mind.

Petunia was a little more complex, but was nonetheless showing a mixture of contempt and envy for magical powers. Plus, Morrigan could see the horse-faced bitch being jealous of Morrigan's perfect figure. Still, the woman made some tea when Morrigan asked nicely, more nicely than she should have. And it was excellent tea, she had to admit. When pressed, Petunia could at least make an effort for hospitality.

Dudley, though, was a spoilt little fuck. One who gawped openly with his piggy little eyes at Morrigan, even though she was wearing (by her standards) _extremely_ conservative clothing. Okay, the rather elegant suit she had chosen (mostly for the sense of authority it gave her) didn't actually hide her figure that much, but she wasn't showing as much skin as she preferred. Though it seemed he had a bit more muscle than he used to before, from Harry and Lilith's descriptions. That, and the subtle signs of injury long-since healed led Morrigan to realise he had taken up boxing.

"Lovely tea, Mrs Dursley," Morrigan said from where she sat on the couch. "Now, perhaps we should get down to business."

Petunia sniffed in disdain, though Morrigan had to admit, the bitch was afraid of her. So too was Vernon, but Petunia's fear was married with what little intelligence she had, while Vernon might be stupid enough to attack her. "Dumbledore's letter said that you would be staying with us for a time," she said tightly.

"Yes. To protect Harry and Lilith from those who would harm him," Morrigan said, her gaze narrowing pointedly at Vernon. Petunia may have abused Harry in many regards, but it was Vernon who did the bulk of it.

"So, you're one of _them?_ " Vernon asked dangerously. Morrigan could sense that the emphasis on 'them' seemed dangerously close to him nearly saying 'freak'.

"If by that, you mean I am a witch, then rest assured, I am not." Her eyes narrowed even further. "I make a so-called witch look like a kitten by comparison. Perhaps I should introduce myself fully. I am Lady Morrigan Aensland, heiress to the throne of my father, Belial. I am also a Succubus. Do you know what that is?"

All three of the Muggles present shook their heads. Part of Morrigan sighed with relief. It meant she could tailor the explanation, twist the truth somewhat. "We are not unlike a vampire, but instead of feeding on blood, we feed on other things. Lilith is, in effect, my younger sister, and she is bound to Harry as his companion. Unlike most of those fools in Magical Britain that you have doubtlessly met, I have an idea of how to function in what you laughably call civilisation. So, until the wizards deign to pick Harry up from this…domicile, I will be staying here."

"We don't have enough room…" Petunia protested angrily, before Morrigan held up a hand, and glared.

"I can use magic on Harry's room…"

"We will not tolerate that freakishness in this house!" Vernon sneered, before a vicious smirk came over his features. "Anyway, your lot can detect magic."

"Oh, you really **_are_** as stupid as you look, aren't you?" Morrigan said, her politeness worn away by Vernon's stupidity. As he gaped, his face getting deeper in colour, she said, "My magic cannot be detected by the Ministry of Magic. In any case, using it in front of humans who are aware of it shouldn't be a problem. All I intended to do was expand the space of the room's interior, rather like the TARDIS from that TV show you humans make, and move a few things in. Lilith, Harry and I will endeavour to keep ourselves out of your hair. Frankly, I would've taken Harry to Makai, but apparently the old goat believes Harry would be better protected here, and frankly, if I do take him to Makai, he may get targeted."

"Mackay? Isn't that in Australia?" Petunia asked, confused.

Morrigan actually laughed out loud at that. "No, no. It's another world entirely. Anyway, here, he supposedly charges up protections between you and Voldemort, the same person who murdered Harry's parents. He's back, by the way."

"But…I thought he was dead!" Petunia protested.

"…Only mostly dead. But he got better." On seeing their blank looks, she said, " _The Princess Bride? Monty Python and the Holy Grail?_ I mean, I may not be human, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy movies."

"It's not funny, Morrigan," Harry said.

"No, I suppose not," Morrigan said. She then glared at the Dursleys. "Seriously, you treated like excrement the very reason you've been kept safe in case a Death Eater got smart and checked a telephone directory for your nephew."

"We never asked to be saddled with him," Vernon said. "Maybe we would have been better off without him."

"Oh? If Voldemort was in charge, you wouldn't last five seconds. You and you," she said, pointing to Vernon and Dudley, "would be roasting on a spit, and they wouldn't bother killing you first, and you," she pointed to Petunia, "would probably be given over to them as a plaything. All because you don't have magic. The Death Eaters are the magical equivalent of Nazis, and you think you would be safe from them if you got rid of Harry?"

"I wouldn't say no to them dying," Lilith muttered mutinously.

"Don't be rude, my darling little sister. We're guests here. So, let's lay down the terms, nice and simple, certainly simple enough for you to follow. You leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone. But you give any of us enough grief…and, well, I am over three centuries old." Morrigan smiled once more, albeit in a predatory manner that showed more teeth than mirth. Probably one of the few things she learned from Demitri Maximoff. "I've forgotten more about causing torment than you'll ever learn in a lifetime…"

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Morrigan's laid down the law with Malfoy and the Dursleys. But will it stick?**

 **Next chapter, BB Hood! And Hsien-Ko!**

 **Review-answering time!** **Gabriel Herrol** **: We'll deal with what happened to the Horcrux later. However, during the awakening, Lilith ate the Horcrux inadvertently.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: The Night Warriors

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **THE NIGHT WARRIORS**

At the Cloven Hoof, Remus came to meet with the exorcists Jon had recommended a couple of weeks ago. His mission to sway the werewolves away from Voldemort had had mixed success: though none had agreed to help Dumbledore outright, only a few packs allied with Fenrir Greyback had openly declared support for Voldemort, and Greyback and his allies had the enmity of virtually every other werewolf pack in Britain. Remus had to accept what small mercies they had gotten.

He also heard from Dumbledore more about this Succubus Harry was bound to, along with her sister. Remus had heard of Morrigan Aensland. If you knew much about the various Darkstalkers of Makai, you tended to hear the names of the most infamous, like Morrigan and her father Belial, or the powerful vampire Demitri Maximoff, or the ones who, while benign to humans, didn't keep a low profile, like Jon Talbain, or Felicia. You heard the rumours of the Frankenstein-like entity (and a more human-like sister) created by Professor von Gerdenheim in Germany, or the cursed samurai known as Bishamon.

Morrigan was infamous to those in the know as a shameless hedonist who occasionally fed on the men she slept with. Not evil by any means, but amoral and hedonistic. And also known for a bitter rivalry with Demitri Maximoff due to Belial Aensland exiling the vampire when Demitri tried to launch a coup. Given what happened to Jedah Domah, another would-be ruler of Makai, Demitri got off lightly.

Still, apparently Morrigan had made some sort of deal with Dumbledore, but Dumbledore did contact Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling anyway, if only to see if their expertise could help them. And he saw them enter the pub, with a hush descending as they did.

They looked out of place, dressed in old-fashioned Chinese clothing. They appeared to be in their late teens at the latest. One looked normal, but the other had greyish-blue skin, and her sleeves were long, having massive clawed gauntlets sticking out of the ends, though her real, slender arms were poking out of holes where her sleeves met the shoulders of her robes.

Remus stood, and gestured them over. They soon came over. "Mr Lupin, wasn't it?" the more normal-looking girl asked. Her English was very good.

"Yes, I am Remus Lupin. I assume you're the two I was to meet?"

"Yes. I am Mei-Ling, and this is my sister, Hsien-Ko," Mei-Ling said.

"Pleased to meet you!" Hsien-Ko said cheerfully.

Remus found himself relaxing. For all her being a Jiang Shi, Hsien-Ko acted very normally, and while that could potentially make her all the more dangerous, the fact that Jon Talbain recommended these two's services helped him relax. "I'm pleased to meet you both as well. What would you like to drink? Tea? Coffee?" They seemed underaged, after all.

"Tea will do fine for both of us," Mei-Ling said, and Remus got a waiter over. After their order was taken, Mei-Ling finally said, "It's odd to be contacted out of the blue by as apparently august a personage as Albus Dumbledore, even if he said that Jon Talbain and Felicia recommended us. After all, we had only met Talbain a couple of times before."

"I think you can guess what the purpose of the job is," Remus said.

"Yes, we follow the magical newspapers," Hsien-Ko said. "Your Minister of Magic's denying that Voldemort is back from the dead, and labelling Dumbledore as a senile old fool, and this Harry Potter kid as an attention-seeking delusional brat. Dumbledore himself stated that Voldemort is still alive in that letter he sent us."

Remus nodded. "Yes. While the particulars are up to Dumbledore, he wanted your help and advice in finding ways to counter whatever Voldemort uses for immortality."

As the teapot and cups were placed in front of them, Mei-Ling frowned thoughtfully. "We're technically relatively new Night Warriors in some regards, but experienced in others. It's a long story, but the short version is, my sister and I are reincarnations of sisters who fought in the 1700s against Darkstalkers. So we do have experience in a way, albeit from a former life. But we only recently became aware of our powers, as in only a few years ago. During times of combat, I become a talisman that prevents my sister from succumbing to the darkest urges of her Jiang Shi form. While our experience is mostly with dealing with physical threats, we do have significant knowledge of dealing with undead and supposedly immortal creatures. And we found excellent teachers in what you would call Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"We don't usually go after wizards, though," Hsien-Ko said. "Even the authorities back home are skittish about dealing with us. They only tolerate us because we're good at dealing with Darkstalkers. Though I guess if he's used some weird method to become immortal, he'd probably be fair game, right sis?"

Mei-Ling nodded. "I've got a few guesses, but I want to talk to Dumbledore about those. How is he working with us?"

"Dumbledore tries to keep an open mind with Darkstalkers. In fact, recently, a couple got involved with Harry Potter," Remus said. "One of them you probably know already: Morrigan Aensland. Apparently she's taken it upon herself to act as Harry's bodyguard, albeit for reasons I can't go into."

"Wait, Morrigan is acting as the Boy Who Lived's bodyguard?" Hsien-Ko asked in disbelief. "Wow, he must have really gotten her interest."

"You've met her?" Remus asked.

"Once, when we got involved in a conflict with Demitri Maximoff not so long ago," Mei-Ling said. "It's where we met Jon Talbain and Felicia for the first time. We helped her deal with Maximoff."

Remus nodded. Demitri Maximoff was debatably the most powerful vampire in the world. Stopping him was no mean feat, even for someone as powerful as Morrigan. "Well, dealing with Voldemort would probably be a different experience. You don't usually deal with wizards, do you?"

"Not someone like Voldemort," Hsien-Ko mused. "I mean, we've dealt with a couple of undead or immortal wizards before, but that's the sort of thing that the local Hit-Wizards should be able to deal with usually, and there are few warlocks as tenacious as Voldemort without pretty much becoming a Darkstalker themselves."

"What do you know about him?"

"Not that much, admittedly, or at least not as much as we'd like. We know he pretty much terrorised Britain during the Seventies. Supposedly, he died trying to kill Harry Potter in 1981 on Halloween, Harry apparently surviving the Killing Curse," Mei-Ling said. "Because of his power and tenacity, along with the Taboo curse he inflicted on Britain during the dying months of the war, people were too afraid to call him by name normally, calling him either 'He Who Must Not Be Named', or 'You Know Who'. But nothing about his true identity. As ridiculous as some family names are amongst the British wizards, I doubt Voldemort is his real name."

"I think Dumbledore knows, though whether he tells you depends on a few things," Remus said. "Will you be willing to speak with him?"

The sisters looked at each other, before they nodded in unison. "We fight monsters, and Voldemort seems like one of the biggest," Mei-Ling said.

"Yeah. Let's kick his arse!" Hsien-Ko cheered.

* * *

Voldemort was wondering why he was bothering to meet with this girl. It had been Malfoy's idea. After the humiliation at the graveyard, Voldemort knew that he needed some means of dealing with the Succubus that Potter was with.

Of course, when the girl finally arrived, she had been accosted by Goyle, the senior one. Goyle was never really smart, though the girl hadn't looked that threatening, dressed as she was looking like Little Red Riding Hood. Of course, when he had threatened her, she had whipped out an oversized pistol from the basket she carried and kneecapped him. Which impressed and infuriated Voldemort simultaneously. After all, the moment the gun came out, Goyle had just enough wit to cast a shield charm, which should have been enough to stop anything short of a rifle round at least. The girl, who couldn't have been older than her late teens, and more likely to be in her mid teens, bragged that her bullets, all custom, were designed to nullify magic defences, a necessity when fighting Darkstalkers.

Still, she was here now. And she was peering at his face with mixed disgust, interest, and perverse glee. There was something about that expression that reminded him of a younger Bellatrix. "So, you're Lord Voldemort. I have to admit, I'm impressed. You're pretty damn scary-looking."

"You should be on your knees before your better instead of showing such disrespect, you filthy Muggle!" Macnair made the mistake of snarling.

As the girl tensed, about to retaliate, Voldemort shot Macnair a look. "Macnair…this Muggle is a guest for now." His red eyes went back to the girl. "But Lord Voldemort advises you not to try his patience."

The girl seemed to refrain from rolling her eyes, barely, instead, saying, "Well, it's polite to introduce ourselves, as my grandmother always said. You've already done so, so you can call me Baby Bonny Hood. BB Hood for short. Now, the guy who hired me, Malfoy, he said you had a little Darkstalker problem. And he was offering me a lot of money to deal with it. So, I need to know, what do I have to kill?"

Straight to business. Good. "Are you aware of Harry Potter?"

"Hmm? Oh, I wasn't aware he was a Darkstalker. But yeah, I know who he is."

"Potter is not a Darkstalker…but he seems to have gained the allegiance of one. A Succubus." Voldemort gave an edited account of what happened. Then, he said, "I want the Succubus dead, and Potter delivered to me alive and as intact as you can manage."

The girl frowned, thoughtful. While greed still glittered in her eyes, he also noted that she seemed to have a thoughtfulness that belied her youth. And there was also something very predatory about her. "Hmm…tricky. Succubi tend to be stronger Darkstalkers, especially if they're anything like Morrigan Aensland. Does Potter need to be wholly intact, or can I do to him what I did to Goyle?"

"As long as he is still alive, able to regain consciousness and doesn't need special healing, I care not."

"Right. Well, from what I know, it's your Malfoy who's bankrolling this, so I'll need to discuss the price with him. And it needs to be in American dollars, not these Galleons you use here. Or precious stones."

"I do hope you aren't trying to bankrupt one of my allies," Voldemort said silkily, noticing the glimmer of greed in her eyes.

"My services are very highly sought-after. I know the value of a life, down to the nearest cent," BB Hood said coldly. "And the only time I do things pro bono is when the people who hired me stab me in the back…though that's because I loot them afterwards."

"Is that a threat?"

"A promise. I don't care about your desire to be head honcho here, as long as I get paid. You could pay me to kill Dumbledore or the Minister of Magic or even the Queen if you liked, and as long as I got my money, I'd do it with a smile. But I've been stabbed in the back before by people who thought they were cleverer than me and thought they wouldn't have to pay me if I was dead. I can even tell you where to find the graves…well, those I didn't put through a woodchipper. Bodies make a wonderful GGRRRRGRRRR noise when they go through. And when they're alive…well, the screams are music to my ears." Her eyes narrowed. "I will bring Potter to you on a silver platter and kill this Succubus…and I will be paid. Otherwise…woodchips."

* * *

Shortly after BB Hood left, having nominated a ridiculously high sum (half of it to be paid in advance), Lucius Malfoy came in. "Of all the most vulgar people we've had to deal with…it may have been a mistake to hire her."

"True. That Muggle girl's insolence and arrogance knows no bounds, but they will avail her naught when she has outlived her usefulness," Voldemort said. "She had better savour what money we give her. Promises to Muggles have no validity. When Potter is in our hands…she will die(1)…"

* * *

While required to reside in the Dursley home, it didn't mean that Morrigan didn't take Harry and Lilith elsewhere when the whim took her. Usually, she took them to Castle Aensland in Makai, and taught them various lessons. Either of the history and politics of Makai, or else teaching them combat skills.

Today, she had decided on the latter. Harry was sprawled on a chair, panting, as was Lilith, while Morrigan, while standing, was looking a little tired, but not much. "You're a sadist," Harry muttered.

"Of course I am," Morrigan said with a smirk, one which changed to a more solemn smile. "I'm also a concerned sister. There are worse things out in the night than Voldemort. Lilith has the raw power and some skills, but she needs more skill and experience. You, on the other hand, are still very much human, with all the weakness that entails. And if you die, so does Lilith. So, we need to get you both stronger."

"I'm not a Succubus!" Harry protested.

"Not technically, no," Morrigan mused. "But you've had the power of one sealed away within you for over a decade and a half. You have access to the same raw power as Lilith, as you are technically one being. But the power recognises that your body isn't powerful enough to wield it. But you are still more than human." The training room they had had cupboards filled with weapons along the side, and Morrigan, in her full Succubus form, strutted over to one, deliberately wiggling her hips to tease Harry and infuriate Lilith. There, she pulled out a metal staff, and then threw it over to Harry. "Think quick!"

Harry caught it, and frowned. "Are we training with staves now?"

"Well, we could if we wanted to, but that's not the point. That doesn't feel very heavy, does it? But that staff is solid metal, and of a type of dense metal you can only find in Makai. You are currently holding in your hand about two hundred kilograms. It feels about as light as aluminium, doesn't it?"

Harry began spinning it slowly, and his eyes widened. "How…?"

"Your power adjusts itself automatically to the situation at hand, and what's more, it also gradually changes your body so that you'll be eventually strong enough to use all of it," Morrigan said. "Anyway, that's my hypothesis, and it's looking pretty damned good. Training you helps get your body more used to more of the power, thus making your strength, durability, speed and magic generally stronger. Obviously, that'll go down VERY well with the Ministry if they heard of it," she concluded sarcastically.

"Having a Succubus as a familiar would be bad enough," Lilith mused morosely. "But if you're stronger because of that…"

"I get the picture. It's a bad idea to discuss it publicly," Harry said.

"Obviously. Humans in general have too narrow a view of what is moral, though many would gladly discard them in pursuit of power," Morrigan purred. "I cannot say that I am good or evil. I just do what I enjoy. However, I don't seek dominion over humans or to kill them unnecessarily. They are too interesting to do so. But there are Darkstalkers who think otherwise. I mentioned Demitri Maximoff, with whom I have clashed before, and Lord Raptor. And there was also Jedah Domah, who disappeared a century ago. Anyway, you are pretty much a brother-in-law to me, and I intend to make sure you're strong enough to deal with anything that comes your way…by hook or by crook…"

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, two sets of Night Warriors have been retained by opposing sides, and Harry has learned something new and disturbing about himself and his relationship with Lilith.**

 **Incidentally, I screwed up when I answered Gabriel Herrol's review. Lilith ate the Horcrux some time ago…**

 **Review-answering time!** **TheSpokesman1** **: And what spelling mistake is that?**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: I'm basing the story mostly on the Udon depictions, but I intend to get a hold of the manga that crosses over with** ** _Red Earth_** **or whatever it is some time. But in the end, as this is a separate continuity to the games and so on, it's up to me how to depict them. I'm going to try to avoid having Jedah Domah in the story, as he isn't really in the Udon comics (though I'll watch clips from** ** _Marvel vs Capcom Infinite_** **to see if I can get a better grip on the character). Demitri is another matter. I chose to put in Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling because I'm pretty sure I got a good read on their characters from watching clips from** ** _Marvel vs Capcom 3_** **.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: When I said gurning, it wasn't a typo. 'Gurning' basically means pulling a grotesque face. Believe it or not, there's a world gurning contest at Egremont in Cumbria, England. No, really. Look up 'gurn' on Wikipedia. As for Mudo being Yoda…well, he's short and green, but his resemblance to Yoda, aside from his diction, ends there. Finally, while I answered this question in correspondence, I should answer it here: the town of Mackay in Queensland was pronounced 'mak-eye' by just about every news and weather presenter I have heard during my life, and apparently that's the correct Scottish pronunciation.**

 **Mecha Manda** **: Pyron, probably not, but I'm strongly considering Demitri becoming a threat. I just need to find the right point to bring him in.**

 **1\. Voldemort's line is based on the Cyberleader's line "Promises to aliens have no validity" in** ** _Doctor Who: The Five Doctors_** **.**


	8. Chapter 7: Probing Attacks

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **PROBING ATTACKS**

Baby Bonny Hood had to laugh at the stupidity of the Death Eaters. After all, they could have found out about Harry's address simply by looking it up in a phonebook. But then again, Magical Britain was mostly stuck in the Victorian or Edwardian eras. Hell, the magical communities all across the world were stuck at least several decades in the past for the most part. Okay, large concentrations of magic tended to make electronics go haywire, but really, did anyone do any R&D to fix that?

BB Hood held more than a little contempt for wizards. Not as much as she did for Darkstalkers, though one didn't get bounties for killing wizards, unless the local authorities posted one (unfortunately, she had been out of the country and otherwise preoccupied when the hunt for Sirius Black was on). But they were so stupid, so backward, so insular, she could all but hear the banjos. It was the same in almost every magical enclave across the world, that they were so backward, and yet so assured of their own superiority. Admittedly, so were many Darkstalkers, but then again, most Darkstalkers were way more powerful than the average wizard. Voldemort might as well have been a Darkstalker himself in terms of power, though (and appearance: damn, he was uglier than more than a few Darkstalkers BB Hood herself had encountered), and killing him would be tricky, but BB Hood was going to give it a damn good shot.

She hoped that Voldemort or his associates would be so stupid as to try and stab her in the back. Many of Voldemort's followers were old money, like that Malfoy guy. That was partly the reason why she made the price for Harry Potter's demise, along with that of this Succubus who was accompanying him, so damned ruinous. She wanted to take these fuckers for every penny they had.

Of course, she also knew that a personage like Harry Potter would not be protected by just a Darkstalker, especially with Voldemort on the rise. Dumbledore may have been a semi-senile old fool at least, but there had to be some form of protection in the first place. Which was why, after getting to her stash, she made her way into Privet Drive and began surveying the street discreetly from a distance with some very expensive instruments she had bought years ago in Knockturn Alley. She wasn't dressed in her Red Riding Hood outfit either: she only did that when she wanted to be conspicuous. Though a witch (or a wizard for that matter) would probably think otherwise. But they were mentally retarded by default.

The first thing she noticed was the person in the Invisibility Cloak sitting opposite the home address. She was scanning from a house nearby that didn't have anyone currently living in it. The binoculars she had were expensively modified Omnioculars that could detect magic. The person currently watching the house was visible as an outline, like that in a thermal imaging camera. BB Hood wrinkled her nose in disgust. The man was drinking from a flask. She even had a directional microphone, and she recognised the man's voice as he muttered drunkenly to himself.

 _Jeez, it's Dung_ , she thought to himself. _That drunken idiot of a spiv(_ _1)_ _. Bilked me out of my money. If he's Potter's guard dog, Dumbarse-dore is really hurting for hired help. Then again, he's muttering about someone called Lupin. Hmm, wonder if he means Remus Lupin?_

She knew of Remus Lupin as one of many werewolves in Britain. She hadn't targeted him yet for a number of reasons. Firstly, he never attacked anyone to her knowledge. Secondly, no bounty had been posted on him as yet. And thirdly, she had cased his house, and found nothing of interest that she could loot after killing him.

With that thought, she raised the Omnioculars to the Dursley household, and frowned. That was interesting: a few strong wards were there. Targeted towards hostile wizards, though one of them, she hadn't seen before.

As she adjusted the Omnioculars, she could see into the house proper. A couple of normal humans (well, one was disgustingly obese) on the ground floor, and on the top floor…oh. Oh _shit_.

BB Hood scowled. Had she identified one of the figures incorrectly? There were _three_ figures in a room on the top storey of the house. One seemed human, albeit with a power level that was on a par with a weaker Darkstalker or even a Night Warrior, so she guessed that was Harry Potter. But the outlines she had seen suggested two Succubi. One was a shorter one, apparently in her teens, so she guessed that may have been the one Voldemort reported. But the other…taller, definitely an adult…

…And if she didn't know any better, the outline looked like Morrigan Aensland.

Of all the Darkstalkers, particularly the residents of Makai, there were a number of them that were the strongest of the strong. BB Hood had educated herself rigorously about them. Jedah Domah, the self-styled Dark Messiah who disappeared long ago, though whether he was dead or not was another matter. Ozom, one of Jedah's former underlings, and the power behind revenant rocker Lord Raptor. Demitri Maximoff, one of the most powerful vampires, if not THE most powerful, exiled to Earth after trying to usurp Belial Aensland. There was Belial Aensland himself, the ruler of Makai and the Darkstalker generally acknowledged to be the most powerful.

And then, there was Morrigan Aensland, Belial's adopted daughter and heiress.

Morrigan was noted for being something of a shameless hedonist and wastrel, but for all that, she was also one of the most powerful Darkstalkers to ever exist. And while BB Hood could take her on, she knew that it wasn't something she could just do on a whim. Confronting the Succubus head-on was, while possible given BB Hood's training regime and enhancements, not a desirable course of action.

She was so going to demand more money from Voldemort and his underlings for this…

* * *

Harry grunted as Morrigan tried to enter his mind again as they sat in his bedroom. Learning Occlumency was fairly difficult, and while Morrigan put him through many useful exercises, she also tested him by attacking his mind, albeit with his permission. As her probe withdrew, she said, "Good. Keep in mind, Harry, that while my form of mental attack is different to Legilimency, it is also more powerful, so your Occlumency, while not as good as it could be, is still enough to deflect most attacks. That being said, I'm not that good at it, not as good as others of my kind. I take a more…direct approach. But I use mental intrusion to discern the fantasies of the men I seduce, and change my appearance accordingly."

"Will his Occlumency be enough to stop, say, Voldemort?" Lilith asked.

"Difficult to say, but it should stop a casual probe from him. But you'll need to make more of an effort to deflect a more concerted attack, from what I know about Voldemort. He is a master Legilimens, and only uses it as little as he does because he prefers the instant gratification of the Cruciatus Curse," Morrigan said. "Your mind already has innate protection being a Darkstalker. Harry, however…"

"Yeah, it still feels unpleasant," Harry said with a grimace.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Morrigan said, tenderly stroking his cheek, and giving him a gentle smile. "You've had a crappy life, Harry. I see parts of your memories when I invade. I've led a life of privilege by comparison. And yet, these fools can't decide whether you are their messiah, or just a naughty boy. Sheep, Harry. Like the bulk of humanity, they are but herds of sheep. But you are greater than them. You have part of my power within you. What you do with that power, I don't care, as long as you don't oppose my father and I. Though I sincerely hope you won't be boring with it. Anyway, I think we should go for a walk. I want to stretch my legs…"

* * *

As they walked out of the Dursleys' house, Morrigan and Lilith both sniffed. So too did Harry, with his senses gradually getting better since Morrigan's training. Soon, he wouldn't need glasses. "Alcohol?" he murmured.

"I smell that idiot sometimes," Morrigan said. "He's not here at the moment, but he was until a couple of minutes ago. One of Dumbledore's little watchmen."

Harry nodded grimly. They had met Lupin once hiding underneath an Invisibility Cloak, and they would later meet one of Sirius' cousins, a Metamorphmagus by the name of Tonks, who was promptly propositioned by Morrigan, much to Tonks' bemusement. "Shouldn't he be at his post?"

"I doubt he cares," Morrigan said, before frowning. "I also sense a very familiar presence. Harry, Lilith, stay close."

The trio made their way to a park, before Morrigan spoke, more quietly, "I thought I sensed the presence of an enemy of ours."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked.

"A Night Warrior, and one of the worst," Morrigan said. "Baby Bonny Hood."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Think Little Red Riding Hood, only she is, as you humans put it, packing heat," Morrigan said. "She may be young, but she's ruthless, skilled, and is capable of going toe to toe with even stronger Darkstalkers. I've fought her before."

"What's she doing in Privet Drive?" Harry demanded.

"At a guess? The pair of you," Morrigan said. "Many Night Warriors are mercenaries, and BB Hood's skills are available to the highest bidder. I'm only speculating, but if Voldemort wanted you dead, Lilith, he'd get BB Hood to do it. Not that you'd die: as long as Harry's still alive, you can reform your body, as you share the same soul. And Voldemort would want Harry alive, at least long enough to torture and then kill. As long as you're with me, you should be safe: while she is a skilled fighter, I am more powerful than she is, and it would take too long for her to take me down. Still, that means the Dursley house may have been compromised. Even with those Blood Wards, it may not be safe anymore. When we get back there, we'll have to send a letter to Dumbledore with Hedwig. I think we…" And that's when they noticed the darkening sky, the lowering temperatures.

"Please tell me that's not what I think that is," Lilith muttered.

Morrigan shook her head. "We're not that lucky. Dementors. I can sense them coming for us."

Dementors, Harry had learned from Morrigan, were the result of experiments dark wizards had done on captured Succubi and Incubi. While weak Darkstalkers in terms of physical ability, they more than made up for it in their sheer ability to cause fear and sorrow in their prey. Even other Darkstalkers weren't safe: Morrigan admitted that Dementors could affect her. Not to as great a degree as they could affect humans, but her Soul Fist attack would only send them into a frenzy, rousing their hunger.

Of greater concern were Harry and Lilith. Morrigan could fight off Dementors easily, but Lilith and Harry were another matter. Not only were they susceptible to the Dementors' aura, but if one of them fell to a Dementor's Kiss, then the other would die, given their shared soul.

"Quick, we need to find somewhere to open the portal without anyone noticing," Morrigan snarled, grabbing the pair of them and rushing down the street, finally finding an alleyway. Harry began hearing the pleas of his mother, the laughter of Voldemort, before Morrigan slashed open reality, and dived through, just before the Dementors could see them.

However, the Dementors could sense when their prey had left, and they emitted keening screeches of fury that echoed around the street, their cries sending shivers down the spine of everyone in the street who could hear them…

* * *

 _Her father getting torn apart by the werewolf…her mother managing to gouge out the werewolf's eye with a silver necklace's trinket before being eviscerated…the sheer fear of being unable to do anything…hiding, trembling at her parents' request_ …

BB Hood shook the memories out of her head with a vicious snarl as she stormed out of the house, weapon in hand. She had faced these damned things before. The wizards thought that the only way to deter or stop a Dementor was with a Patronus.

Well, necessity was the mother of invention, as they said.

BB Hood had remained in her hired house when Morrigan came out with Harry and the other Succubus. She had stayed behind and not attempted to follow them for now. She needed to plan things out before attempting to take on someone like Morrigan. If it was just Harry and the other Succubus, it'd be another matter, but three against one, with one of the three being one of the strongest Darkstalkers? Nope, nope, and more nope.

And that's when it all went wrong.

The Dementors, after she heard their frustrated screeching echoing through the street, had started coming down it. And she realised that they were heading for Harry's home.

Now, she didn't do pro bono work. But on the other hand, the Dursleys may be grateful enough to spill information about Harry and the Dursleys' new guests. Plus, maybe there was something in the house worth looting.

And in any case, Dementors pissed her off something fierce.

"Hey!" she yelled at the Dementors. She pumped a round into her shotgun, the distinctive loud click better than any Patronus in dispelling the effects of the Dementors' aura. For her, anyway. "You've got to earn your meal, you soul-sucking bastards!" As the Dementors' heads swivelled to peer at her, even though they didn't have eyes, she fired the first round of enhanced buckshot into one of them.

The buckshot was something she had come across in Europe, created by an enterprising Muggleborn recently to combat Darkstalkers. The buckshot had special runes engraved to strengthen the buckshot, allowing it to tear through the hide of even the toughest magical creatures. It could penetrate dragonhide, which was practically mega-Kevlar and spell-resistant to boot.

At relatively short range, the buckshot turned one Dementor into a cloud of vile-smelling mince. The second one had just enough time to process what happened to its comrade in sheer incomprehension, enough time for BB Hood to reload. However, this Dementor immediately fled, and BB Hood's second shot went wide. BB Hood screamed at it, "Hey! No dine-and-dashers! Come back and take your bloody medicine!", and shot another round, but by this point, it was out of range.

As the aura of the Dementors cleared away, BB Hood snarled in rage. Partly because she never liked leaving a job half-finished, and that Dementor fleeing was a loose end. Partly because someone had sent them here to attack Harry. She didn't know for sure, but she had a major hunch. And NOBODY stole HER PREY from her! If this was an attempt at a doublecross by Voldemort, which she doubted (it was a touch too soon for that, she knew: a doublecross was inevitable, but later), it was a very clumsy one. And she was sure he or his followers didn't know where Harry lived anyway, unless they had put a tracking charm or something on her. In any case, the Dementors were still under the control of the Ministry.

Did that mean someone within the Ministry of Magic had just tried to silence Harry? Fudge may have started a smear campaign, but that weak, cowardly piece of shit wouldn't put out a hit on Harry. But there was someone else who might, someone whom BB Hood had worked for before…

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. BB Hood, Harry and company, and Umbridge have just been caught in a bit of a SNAFU.**

 **It's probably worth mentioning that, as BB Hood only appears in one brief chapter of the Udon comic, I had to extrapolate a little from what I read on wikis about her character in the game. I think I was helped by a certain character from the light novel series** ** _Youjo Senki_** **, or, to give it its English title,** ** _The Saga of Tanya the Evil_** **. I was already aware of this series when I started writing this chapter, and partway through, I managed to get the first of the light novels (I recommend it, BTW, as it's a good, if dark, read). I had Tanya Degurechaff in the back of my mind when writing BB Hood, unconsciously at first, but more consciously later. The same cold pragmatism combined with a viciousness in combat, and an extreme maturity for her age…even if I didn't get it completely like the canon BB Hood, well, that's the joy of fanfic.**

 **Now, if you're thinking that Morrigan was OOC in not facing and fighting the Dementors, keep in mind, as mentioned above, that Morrigan was concerned about the safety of Lilith and Harry. If either of them succumb to a Dementor's Kiss, it's game over (they share the same soul, after all), and Morrigan is VERY protective of them. And for all of his strengths, one of Harry's greatest weaknesses is his vulnerability to Dementors. Hell, he needed to be a long way away from them at the end of Book 3 to use a Patronus to drive them away. I also wrote in that thing about the Soul Fist exciting rather than damaging Dementors as an added reason. Morrigan could kick the arses of Dementors with ease, but Harry and Lilith's safety took priority.**

 **Review-answering time! Now, can I have you guest reviewers PLEASE STOP spamming my reviews with overly long reviews that contain stuff that I know about, as well as stuff I don't care about? I am already aware of** ** _Darkstalkers/Red Earth: Maleficarium_** **, and have even ordered it through Book Depository (it should be due any day now, as of writing), but any OOC stuff can be chalked down to this being a fanfic.**

 **In addition, I did remove the reference to Morrigan being as exhausted as the others because that was too much, but a number of reviewers thought she shouldn't be tired at all. Keep in mind, she's not just sparring with Harry, but with Lilith too. Lilith has more raw power at her disposal than Harry, given that she already has a Succubus body that can take said power. In any case, my story, my rules, and if you don't like it, the door's there. Don't let it hit you on the way out.**

 **Raven Marcus** **: That was my original idea, in a way. Incubi in the** ** _Darkstalkers_** **universe are VERY different to Succubi, so I wanted to turn Harry into a male Succubus (what we'd think of as an Incubus), but that proved to be too complicated. So while Harry is NOT a Succubus or an Incubus, he is gradually becoming as strong as a Darkstalker.**

 **Manda Jr** **: I haven't thought about that yet. Your list seems error-filled, though, so I can't say. Also, I haven't any access to the Darkstalkers OVA, so I'm characterising Hsien-Ko as the cheerful (normally) one, and Mei-Ling as the serious (normally) one.**

 **KrisB-71854** **: It's a bit more complicated than it being siblings. Lilith formed herself from magic, so genes aren't involved. But it could be squicky if you looked at it that way.**

 **Mecha Manda** **: I haven't decided yet, but I'm thinking a combination of physical strength and magic ability. But don't spam suggestions at me like that, or give me a long list from a game I've never heard of. However, that idea about the Succubus education is hilarious, and I may just use it.**

 **Odin's Eye** **: Jedah is not aware of Lilith or what she used to be in this fic, at least at the moment. If I'm going to bring in a Darkstalker as a mortal enemy (aside from BB Hood), and I will do that, it's going to be Demitri Maximoff.**

 **Loki's Tongue** **: For the purposes of this story, the Horcrux was consumed utterly, or at least is useless as an anchor for Voldemort at this point, meaning Lilith doesn't have to die.**

 **Megatronusprime3** **: It'll be a while coming, but first, she's going to troll the everloving fuck out of Umbridge. You see, Morrigan's coming to Hogwarts, and I'm sure you can guess in what role.**

 **God-King Ghidora** **: I don't get the reference. The closest I have is one of the lines from Oogie-Boogie's song from** ** _The Nightmare Before Christmas_** **.**

 **1\. A spiv is a kind of black marketeer that thrived particularly during World War II and shortly afterwards, while rationing was still in effect in Britain. I first heard this term to describe a character in** ** _Medievil II_** **, and it would also suit the Merchant from** ** _Resident Evil 4_** **, IMO. Especially with the Cockney accent…**


	9. Chapter 8: Assurances

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **ASSURANCES**

They had waited a couple of hours before Morrigan went back alone to fetch Hedwig and Harry's belongings. Harry and Lilith, sitting in a luxurious bedroom that Morrigan had designated as their own in Castle Aensland, were silent for a time. It was an uncomfortable silence, like sitting on jagged stones, instead of on a soft bed fit for an emperor.

This near-miss with the Dementors highlighted just how vulnerable they still were, even with their newfound strength. Harry didn't want to have to be saved all the bloody time. And yet, because he was with Morrigan and Lilith, _they_ had to retreat.

Morrigan had tried to reassure him, but it did ring hollow. In Makai, strength was what mattered. And he wasn't strong enough. He was the weakest link in the relationship. Maybe Lilith could have fended off the Dementors, but if he got attacked and Kissed, it meant their shared soul would be going bye-bye. Lilith would die because of his weakness. The girl he loved, who had been a part of him since before his birth, his first friend, and he couldn't help her. In fact, he was a liability to her.

With that self-loathing thought in mind, he got up off the bed, and walked out of the door. "Where are you going?" Lilith asked.

"I need some air. I need to think," Harry said. "It was my fault we nearly got Kissed."

"Harry, it wasn't…" But he closed the door in the face of her reply. Not slammed it, just shut it gently. He didn't want to hear her platitudes. He just wanted to be alone for the time being…

* * *

Lilith stared at the door after him. She barely even noticed Morrigan entering the room, luggage floating near her, with Hedwig perched on her shoulder. "Where's Harry?" Morrigan asked as she changed back to her habitual Succubus form.

"Gone. He claims to get some air, but…he said it was his fault we nearly fell to the Dementors."

"While he's not wrong," Morrigan said, "I'll be working to fix that. Anyway, it was my decision to bring you two to safety. I've managed to pick up Harry's belongings. He's also had some letters sent to him, and the Dursleys said that some blonde girl matching BB Hood's description shot the Dementors, and began nosing around. It looks like that damned house has been compromised, so I sent one of my familiars to Dumbledore. He wanted Harry to stay, but between BB Hood and the Dementors, I don't feel like you two are safe." Morrigan sent the luggage zooming into place around the room with a gesture, and then walked over, and sat down next to Lilith, putting an arm around the shoulder of the younger Succubus. "Lilith, don't ever think that you're weak or worthless. If Harry was here, I'd be telling him the same thing. You're not. Neither of you are. Harry is _vulnerable_ , not _weak_. He's a human, and he took down a Basilisk with little help, save from a Phoenix and a sentient hat. Many powerful Darkstalkers would find that difficult, and he did it at the age of 12 with a sword. Okay, he needed that Phoenix to cry into his wounds, but still…I've seen through his memories, and listened to his stories. He is not weak. And as for you…well, you used to be part of me. And I'm not weak."

The words did little to soothe things. "But we had to retreat…"

"Yes, I know. And? I've retreated before when I had to. Besides, while I normally enjoy fighting, I detest fighting Dementors. I think they hate us Succubi because we're hot and they're not."

Lilith laughed a little at that. It was pretty weak laughter, but it was laughter all the same. She looked down at her body, and then laughed again. "I'd hate to think about who'd find a Dementor sexy."

Morrigan chuckled. "Some masochistic weirdos, no doubt. I mean, there are people out there who'd willingly couple with a Soul Bee." After a moment, she admitted, "Well, I'm one of them, so I can't talk, as long as I avoid getting implanted with their larvae."

Again, Lilith laughed. Though she wasn't laughing when Morrigan spoke next. "So…are you two going to actually kiss yet or what?" As Lilith stared at her older sister, Morrigan shrugged. "Look, take it from someone who's been on the dating scene for way longer than you, Lilith. Even without the familiar bond and being, well, two different parts of the same soul, you two are in love, and I mean the romantic kind. It's understated, but…you care for each other. I have to say, you're a lucky girl. I'm half-tempted to poach him off you, if he was a bit older, anyway. When I first brought you two to Makai, Harry was protective of you, despite the fact that, as a Darkstalker, you have more access to your shared power than he does. He stood up to my father. Okay, that was out of ignorance, but still…even in ignorance, that takes balls of steel."

"I shouldn't need protecting," Lilith said.

"And neither should he. Doesn't mean others can't. Besides, he was willing to protect you from unknowns more powerful than he was. That kind of loyalty literally cannot be bought. Doesn't hurt that, scrawniness aside, he's a looker. Plus, he looks the sort to be a considerate lover. I can teach you a few things to help reciprocate."

Lilith blushed. While technically, Succubi shouldn't be prudes, given that they were very much sexual creatures, it was still embarrassing to have her sister speak of Harry that way. She didn't actually object to having sex with Harry, she wanted to, but she also didn't want to rush things. They had barely turned 16 anyway, and for all Morrigan spelling it out about their love, Lilith knew that Harry would prefer it slow.

"How about we do it this way?" Morrigan said, ruffling Lilith's lavender hair. "I'll set up one of the dining halls for a candlelit dinner for two this evening. It'll be your first actual date! And I won't be a gooseberry! How's that sound?"

Actually, that sounded kind of nice. And Lilith had to admit, she was glad she had a big sister like Morrigan. Even if she was embarrassing…

* * *

Harry wasn't sure how it happened, but he ended up at the throne room quite by accident. He didn't realise until he heard Belial's voice come from the curtained-off throne. " ** _You seem troubled, Harry Potter_** ," rumbled the voice.

"What tipped you off?" he muttered, before wincing, realising that he had just been sarcastic to, effectively, his father-in-law. Who was the ruler of Makai, and the strongest demon.

However, if Belial took offence, it didn't show in his tone. " ** _It is rare that a human may wander the halls of my castle with impunity. Indeed, technically, it is forbidden, though Morrigan violates that tenet on a regular basis, bringing men and women back to the castle to couple with. But given your relationship with Lilith, you are welcome here any time. Many others in Makai would not feel the same way, so you should not leave this castle, save to return to the human realm. Even in the company of Morrigan and Lilith, you are at risk._** "

"Like I'm not every day," Harry muttered in annoyance. "I have a genocidal wizard out to kill me, and Dumbledore won't tell me why, I had Dementors sent after me, and if I die, so does Lilith. I feel useless."

" ** _Do you? And what, Harry Potter, do you intend to do about that?_** "

Harry didn't trust himself to respond.

A tenebrous chuckle echoed around the room. " ** _While the inhabitants of Makai place great store by strength and power, to admit weakness is not a sin. To continue to be weak when you can do something about it is, and I know you want to better yourself anyway. In addition, Morrigan has consented to help you, to guard you and Lilith. She will be your crutch only as long as you need to be, for that is what a crutch is for: to help those who can't walk until they can walk again. You have part of my daughter's power within you. All that is needed is for your body to be able to withstand that power. Even I, the most powerful denizen of Makai, did not reach my full potential until later in my life. There is innate potential, and there is hard work. Both of these give you strength. You have the former, and you are not afraid of the latter. Strive, then, to become stronger, to protect yourself and Lilith, as well as your friends._** "

"But how much stronger can I become?"

" ** _My daughter's power rests within you in part. And her potential was almost limitless. In a way, I should thank you. The revelation about your existence and Lilith's awoke a sense of responsibility that had not quite been present, not normally. I expect my daughter to take my throne some time, but she indulges herself in hedonism. It is, admittedly, in her nature as a Succubus, but she feels that taking up my position will put an end to her pleasure. But with you two, she has found something more to fight for. She is not without a sense of altruism, as she fought for humanity before, and for humans. But her learning of her sister's existence has given her something else. This, I believe, will help temper her into the ruler I know she can be._** "

"Maybe…but how do I get stronger?"

" ** _Train. Learn. Hone your body, mind, soul and heart. You have already begun, long before Lilith split from you, by simple dint of having Voldemort come after you. Before long, I believe you will be able to fight on a par with other Darkstalkers. Your weakness is in your body more than anything. Your soul and heart already burn with a fire that is enviable in its strength. If that was equivalent to fighting ability, you would approach my power already._** "

"I'm sorry, but that's not reassuring," Harry said. "Dementors aside, I feel very out of my depth here."

" ** _That is a sane response. We Darkstalkers do not always act in a manner humans would view as moral, though many humans would act in a manner equivalent to the worst of the Darkstalkers. An alien mindset, coupled with power…it's no wonder much of humanity fears us. And is that part of the reason for your discontent? Not just your powerlessness…but the fact that, appearance and your original biology, you are now no longer wholly human? That you are part-Darkstalker?_** "

"…It's a factor. But I've lived with Lilith for all my life. She was my friend when I had none, even if she wasn't human. I don't really care about not being human myself…just what others will think of that. I feel like a human…well, a person. I don't want to suck blood or eat souls or devour flesh, and if I don't have to, I don't see what the problem is."

" ** _I see._** " There was the sound of a door opening nearby, and then, Harry looked over to see Lilith entering gingerly. " ** _Lilith…are you all right?_** "

"I'm feeling better now, Lord Belial…Father…"

Harry could all but hear the proud smile in Belial's voice. " ** _I am glad, then. You are fortunate to be bound to one such as this, given his commitment to your wellbeing. Harry, do you have anything to say?_** "

Before he could apologise, Lilith shook her head, smiling. "I already know what he will say. And there's nothing to forgive, Harry. I know you're worried about letting me down. Don't be. Just promise me you'll get stronger, so we shouldn't have to worry about that happening again."

"I'll try," Harry said quietly. "I don't want to be the weak link here…"

* * *

The dinner Morrigan arranged was surprisingly intimate. They were served by Mudo and Lucien, but otherwise, nobody else was in attendance. While technically Lilith didn't need to eat food like normal humans, given that she subsisted on Harry's magic, she enjoyed the experience of eating food. Morrigan had even joked during their time at the Dursleys' that Lilith needed to eat a little more to enhance her…assets. Harry thought her assets were generous enough already. He was again thankful that her apparent age was the same as his own.

The dining room also felt…well, homely. Even in a dark and gothic castle in the middle of Makai, he thought that this dining room felt like a more intimate version of the Great Hall back in Hogwarts, and for all the dangerous adventures that he had had there, it felt more like home than the Dursleys' house ever did.

Then again, given what he learned, Aensland Castle probably was his home now. He was part of the family here. And if he wasn't safe (from Voldemort, at least) here, then where was he safe?

So, he was determined to make sure he wasn't a liability. If Lilith needed to fight, he was going to fight by her side, on equal terms…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Whew! So, Harry and Lilith have been through some self-recrimination, only to be brought out of it by Morrigan and Belial.**

 **Now, it's worth pointing out that, by this time, I managed to get a hold of** ** _Darkstalkers/Red Earth: Maleficarium_** **. I'll be honest, it sucked, big time. It didn't really have any plot, and left a lot in the air. And while the Udon series left things on a big cliffhanger, it at least resolved one big story arc. So, any of you guys pestering me to get a hold of that, or the OVA, or the manga, STOP IT. NOW.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	10. Chapter 9: 12 Grimmauld Place

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **12 GRIMMAULD PLACE**

Morrigan looked around the dark and dreary atrium with distaste. Now, she enjoyed the dark and gothic look, having been raised in Castle Aensland, but that had a sense of style, a sense of flair. This place, despite having a superficial style, felt like a corpse with maggots infesting it.

"Not impressed?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really."

"I thought a resident of Makai would have enjoyed the décor a bit more," Sirius said with a smirk.

Morrigan sniffed contemptuously as she peered at the shrunken House Elves' heads, mounted on plaques. "If the former owners had any real taste. I'm sure there are many in Makai who would enjoy decorations like this. I do not. And the feel of the darkness here…it's stagnant, grotesque. The darkness should feel warm, encompassing, like a blanket. The cobwebs aren't even arranged artistically. You have no idea how many decades my father spent breeding spiders to only spin cobwebs in the right places."

"Are you serious?"

Morrigan chuckled. "I believe that you actually were Sirius."

Sirius echoed her chuckle, before he looked back up at the bedrooms. "Do you think they're settling in okay? Molly was giving me a hard time about them sharing a bedroom, but…"

"That shrill woman is a galling prude, rather surprising considering her large brood…oh, that rhymed. And that greasy-haired fool exposing Lilith's true nature and mine hasn't helped matters. Why Dumbledore trusts him, I have no idea. Anyway, it's better for Harry and Lilith to sleep together, even if it's in the strictly platonic sense. Now that she has a physical body, Lilith's instincts may begin to show. I've given them the Talk, of course."

"A Succubus…gave my godson the Talk," Sirius said flatly. "Should I be afraid, annoyed, or happy?"

"I don't really care. Harry is family to me, Sirius, far better than how your family treated you, given what you said when we came here," Morrigan said. "In any case, they're too young for any…surprises, shall we say? So I'm giving Lilith a healthy supply of a potion we Succubi take. We have a low fertility rate, or otherwise we would be pregnant for most of our lives, but better to be safe than sorry. Of course, I'm not expecting them to couple now by any means. They respect one another, and they're fumbling somewhat towards intimacy. But they look so cute in bed together."

"Oh my God, Morrigan Aensland has a maternal streak," chuckled a familiar voice. Morrigan whirled to find a familiar, blue-skinned Chinese girl in old-fashioned robes. A girl she recognised.

"Hsien-Ko," Morrigan remarked. "Dumbledore mentioned he was hiring specialists in exorcism. I'm surprised it was you and, presumably, your sister."

"You two know each other?" Sirius asked.

"Oh yeah, we helped Morrigan against Demitri Maximoff and his minions," Hsien-Ko said.

"We weren't exactly friends, but we were certainly allies," Morrigan said. "I'm surprised that these wizards tolerate a Jiang Shi."

"Yeah, we did get a bit of trouble," Hsien-Ko said, taking off her hat and scratching her head. "Not as much as I feared, Dumbledore must've explained things in advance. But, well, Jiang Shi is pretty much 'Chinese vampire' to these people, and they're a bit wary. Though I got some respect from that scarred old man, Moody or something. Anyway, I was told by Dumbledore that you were here because, somehow, Harry Potter got bonded to your sister. He didn't give me the full details, though."

"The full details are complicated," Morrigan said. "Still, while we're not really friends, I am glad to see you, if only because I know I can trust you to watch my back in a fight, should it come down to it. Well, when it comes down to it."

Hsien-Ko nodded. "Anyway, Mei-Ling and Dumbledore are investigating something. I can't say much, only that Dumbledore thinks it's key to defeating Voldemort…"

* * *

Mei-Ling grimaced as she examined the locket that they had managed to find, the one the half-crazed House Elf had been guarding. "The good news is that this is most definitely a Horcrux. The bad news is, it doesn't contain half of Voldemort's soul. It contains an even smaller fraction. So he has created multiple Horcruxes, and definitely more than two."

"I was afraid of that," Dumbledore said quietly. While he hadn't told the sisters about Horcruxes specifically, he knew that they would figure it out eventually. He had mentioned the Diary. "I suspect seven were created, with the seventh being an accidental creation. Two of them, including the accidental Horcrux, have been dealt with."

"Why seven?" Mei-Ling asked. "That would mean eight soul pieces including Voldemort himself, and Western Arithmancy prefers seven as a magical number to eight."

"As I said, the seventh Horcrux was accidental, I believe, created during his defeat back in 1981," Dumbledore said. "The last Horcrux was created more recently, I am sure, but I believe he intended to create his sixth Horcrux at the time with the death of Harry Potter, so his soul was already prepared by the Horcrux ritual."

"Yes, it's pretty vile," Mei-Ling said. "I came across something like it in a text used by a rather persistent Chinese warlock. Still, multiple Horcruxes…his sanity must be nearly non-existent. So, what do you want done with it?"

"What do you mean, my dear girl?"

Mei-Ling pursed her lips in irritation, Dumbledore presumed because she had been called 'my dear girl'. "We have three options here. The first is destroying the Horcrux outright. Fiendfyre and Basilisk venom should do the trick, and I can certainly exorcise the Horcrux with ease. The second is exorcising the Horcrux without destroying this locket. It's trickier, Horcruxes are like barnacles in how tenaciously they cling to things, but I can do it. The third is finding a ritual that can use the soul fragment to try and track down the other ones, or even use a ritual that can exorcise all of them at once."

Dumbledore stared. "Is that possible?"

"Possible, yes. Feasible is another matter," the Chinese girl said. "The reason why I even suggested formulating or finding a ritual to get rid of them all at once is because if Voldemort catches on to what we're doing…"

"Yes, I understand that fear," Dumbledore said. "Could a simple exorcism on the Horcrux exorcise Voldemort through the anchoring link?"

"No. Exorcisms don't work like that normally. They would banish the soul fragment to beyond, destroying the link. That's why a more complicated ritual would be needed."

"Of course it would not be simple," Dumbledore murmured to himself. "How long would the ritual take to formulate?"

"Months if I started from scratch," Mei-Ling said. "I'll check the books here and at Hogwarts to see if there's any rituals that I can modify, but given what we found, or rather couldn't find in China, I doubt we can find anything better. It's like computer programming. Starting from scratch is laborious, so it helps if you have something to start from. That being said…" She began writing down symbols on paper talismans. "I can at least mitigate the effects of this thing's aura. Wearing it would be inadvisable, as it has an air not unlike…I believe there is the One Ring from that _Lord of the Rings_ novel. But even just having it nearby causes an air of malice to seep through the house. Not that there isn't enough of that already."

"Agreed. Would you be amenable to helping clean up the worst curses in this house?"

"Certainly. At the very least, there might be something interesting…"

* * *

"So, you're a Succubus," Ron said flatly.

Both Harry and Lilith winced. They had been warned by Hermione that Snape had exposed Lilith's true nature at a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, and before Dumbledore could work damage control, Molly had told Ron. So Ron had come to see them both.

"How could you keep this from me, mate?" Ron demanded. "I thought we were friends!"

"So did I," Harry said. "And look what happened last year, with the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Remember how you thought I had entered myself?"

Ron flinched. "I thought we were over that. It's not that I care about her being a Succubus if Dumbledore vouches for her, but…"

"But if he didn't? What would you have thought of me, then? If I had a Succubus as a familiar, a Darkstalker?"

Ron looked away, a little sullenly, and certainly a little hurt. But he eventually said, "Look, Harry, I know I messed up last year. It was stupid. I'm not jealous of you for having Lilith as a familiar. Hell, the Ministry will be after you more than ever if they find out. I'm not going to rat you out. But…"

"Ronald Weasley," Lilith said, standing, and walking over to him, and peering into his eyes. "As long as you remain Harry's friend, I will protect you. You've done some stupid things, yes. But…you can do better. You have done better. That thing about allowing yourself to get sacrificed on that chess set? That took real nerve. Are you fine with me being with Harry?"

"…As long as you're not gonna hurt him, or any of us."

"Then we're fine. So, hi. I'm Lilith Aensland. My big sister downstairs is Morrigan Aensland, heiress to the throne of Makai."

"Whoa," Ron breathed. "So, she's…"

"It's a very long story."

"I'll bet," Ron said. "Ginny'll probably be very unhappy, though. I mean, you're not getting away without at least one Bat-Bogey Hex."

Lilith rolled her eyes, before transforming into her Succubus form. "Then I'll spank her. I hope your mother is okay."

"She's of two minds about it. She wants Harry to be happy, but, well, wizards don't think much of Darkstalkers, and Succubi have a reputation, worse than Veela," Ron said, his eyes straying down her leotard-clad body briefly before he remembered himself. "Fred and George are crowing about it, of course. So, umm, what is it that you can do?"

"Lots of things. I'm a master of transformation and combat magic," Lilith said. "What I didn't learn from either Harry or my natural instincts as a Succubus, I learned from my big sister. And as Harry's familiar, I don't need to feed off souls or from the dreams of others. Instead, Harry's magic sustains me."

It was a well-rehearsed part-truth. "So…those Chinese girls, the exorcists, you know them?" Ron asked, trying to change the subject. "Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling?"

"No, but Morrigan's mentioned them. We have Night Warriors here?" Lilith asked.

Morrigan's voice came to them as she entered the bedroom. "Not all Night Warriors are enemies of all Darkstalkers, Lilith. While you would be wise to avoid Donovan, I doubt he would endanger Harry's existence by trying to kill you, and as long as you did not endanger innocents, he would leave you alone. BB Hood is another matter, of course. But Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are fine."

Ron was staring at Morrigan, and trying impressively hard not to stare at her breasts. "So…you're Morrigan Aensland…that your dad's the ruler of Makai…"

"Yes. And? I mean, apart from the fact that I am probably going to do something humiliating to Snape for exposing me and Lilith?" Morrigan smirked.

"You're exposed enough already when you're in your standard getup," Harry snarked. "You'd cause Mount Molly to explode."

"She already nearly did. I just made it clear that I had sensitive ears and that I would retaliate strongly against any attempts at deafening me," Morrigan retorted. She then placed her hand under Ron's chin, and gently closed his gaping mouth. "You don't want flies as part of your diet, Ronald, trust me."

"I'll…I'll go and talk to Ginny," Ron stammered slightly, before retreating to avoid any further embarrassment.

Harry just stared at Morrigan flatly. "Was that necessary?"

"Not really. It was fun, though," Morrigan smirked. "I enjoy some vicarious amusement in flustering those I don't intend to sleep with. It's enjoyable, Lilith, you should try it."

"Maybe later," Lilith said, sitting on the bed, Harry joining her, the young Succubus nuzzling into him affectionately and protectively. "So, anything else you want to talk about?"

"Nothing that can't wait until later," Morrigan smirked. She turned and went to the door, only to pause. "Oh, and by the way, be careful. And if you can't be careful, be safe. And if you can't be safe…" Her smirk widened. "Name the baby after me(1)."

Both Lilith and Harry's faces turned bright red with embarrassment as Morrigan cackled, leaving the room, swaying her hips as she did so. Well, their stay at 12 Grimmauld Place wouldn't be boring, that much could be said…

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Just some vignettes of the newcomers settling in at 12 Grimmauld Place.**

 **Review-answering time! A few of you are wondering what sort of fighting style Harry may adopt. I haven't decided, but it will be different to Morrigan and Lilith's. As he lacks their innate talent for self-transfiguration, he might be a bit more direct. I'm thinking a combination of magic, and maybe the 'super-Bajiquan' used by Kirei Kotomine in** ** _Fate/Zero_** **and** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **, with a bit of Apparition thrown in.**

 **Jostanos** **: I have only one word to say:** ** _What_** **.**

 **LoamyCoffee** **: Unlike Jaune (at least until the** ** _Jaunedice_** **episodes' end), Harry is more than willing to accept help from others to make him stronger already.**

 **Ariadne Venegas** **: Maybe they should have him on Saitama's training regimen, but I think Lilith wants Harry to keep his hair. :P**

 **1\. This comes from chapter 19 of** ** _Nobody Dies_** **, the epic** ** _Neon Genesis Evangelion_** **fanfic by Gregg Landsman. Misato says a slightly different version of the line to Shinji before he goes to a school dance with Asuka.**


	11. Chapter 10: Reading, Relationships, and

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **READING, RELATIONSHIPS AND RANCOUR**

"I'll take those if you don't mind," Morrigan said as she plucked the books from Molly's arms. The red-haired harridan had been cleaning out the house, and disposing of artifacts she deemed objectionable.

"Those are very dangerous!" Molly protested. "I…"

"Oh, please be quiet, you make a _banshee_ sound quiet by comparison," Morrigan retorted. And as Mount Molly threatened to erupt, she said, "Let's look at things calmly. Firstly, did either Sirius or Dumbledore give you leave to dispose of those books? You are technically a guest in Sirius' household, after all. Secondly, I am a Darkstalker, as you well know, and a very powerful one at that. There are few tomes made by humans that could harm me. The curses on the worst of these would do little more than tickle and itch. Thirdly, you fail to realise a very good use for these books, and not just as kindling for a fireplace."

"Which is what?" Molly asked, looking irritated that her authority was being flouted by someone she considered a hussy.

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'know thy enemy'? Within these books could be knowledge you could use to counter anything Voldemort and the Death Eaters throw at you." Morrigan looked at one, and raised an eyebrow. "You're disposing of _this?_ Really, Mrs Weasley, for a woman who has clearly had enough truck with sex to have birthed seven children, you truly are a prude." She casually threw what was basically the wizarding equivalent of the Kama Sutra through a portal into her boudoir back in Makai. "I'll keep it away from the kiddies if that's what you're worried about, but we're not having a re-enactment of the Bonfire of the Vanities."

"You…you…"

"Ssshhh…calm down. It's bad for your health. And I am not here to seduce you, your husband, or your children. None of them are my type, really…though I saw a picture of your older boys, Bill and Charlies. Now, those two, I wouldn't mind bedding if they were here. Anyway, my point is, I am here because Dumbledore trusts me, regardless of my being a Darkstalker. And I am here to protect my sister, and by extension, Harry. So, accept my presence here. And don't act like you own this house. You don't. Clean it up by all means if that appalling little House Elf won't, but don't clean it out. I've already had to spank that drunken spiv Fletcher for trying to steal the silver. Why Dumbledore trusts him, I don't know."

Molly still seemed on the verge of apoplexy, but calmed herself with an effort, or at least found a different target for her ire. "That idiot Fletcher was on watch when those Dementors were sent," she scowled. "He owes Dumbledore a debt for helping him out, but he goes off to make some shady deal, just before the Dementors attacked."

"Then I have clearly not spanked him enough," Morrigan remarked. "While I know this is not an army, I believe that would count as dereliction of duty. The fact that my sister and her bonded were nearly killed on his watch…well, I am not happy with him."

"You're not the only one. Harry…it shouldn't be his fight," Molly said quietly. "You Know Who took his parents from him, and if what Ron and Ginny have told me is correct, he has faced You Know Who in some form or another for three of his four years at Hogwarts. And in his third year, he had to deal with that mess involving Sirius and Pettigrew."

"…Yes. He's a strong boy to make it through that. And call You Know Who Voldemort. The Taboo Spell hasn't been used again."

"Maybe…but you haven't lost family to him, Morrigan," Molly said, looking away. "Fabian and Gideon…my brothers…they were murdered by that _monster_ and his underlings. Moody keeps saying that they died like heroes…but they just _died_. I admit, there are times when I do see Harry as this Boy Who Lived…but do you know what I see most of the time? An orphan, forced to live with Muggles who treat him appallingly. I've argued with Dumbledore many times. I know we're not the richest of families, but I would be more than willing to have him with us. He told me about those Blood Ward things…but I still don't like it. And yet…I know that, even if I don't want him to…You Know Who will track him to the ends of the Earth, and murder him. He will have to fight him, and I'm not sure whether anything I can teach him, let alone anyone else in the Order, can help Harry survive. You Know Who is a wizard with decades of experience. Harry is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. How can such a gap be bridged?"

Morrigan realised that the younger (compared to Morrigan, anyway, who looked half Molly's age) woman had inadvertently bared her heart to the Succubus. Eventually, Morrigan said, "You're right. I haven't lost family to Voldemort, Molly. Then again, I don't have any family, aside from my father, and I was adopted by him. Or rather, I didn't have any family until Lilith was born from the part of my power my father sealed away. Lilith is bound to Harry, and that makes him family. If he is to survive, then he will have to learn to fight. And as I have centuries of experience in such matters…after all, there are many ways for me to derive sustenance aside from that Succubi are known for, and one of them is through stimulation through combat. And given that Harry shares part of what was once my power…"

Molly's eyes widened. "Through Lilith…"

"Yes. Like it or not, Harry will have to fight Voldemort, sooner or later. If only because Voldemort is a sore loser. Thanks to Lilith, he has the power. I can teach him how to wield it. The sad thing is, he'd probably need it after that. After all, being bound to a Darkstalker is sure to attract attention, especially from other Darkstalkers. An old nemesis of mine, Demitri Maximoff, may take an interest."

Molly's eyes widened even more. "The infamous vampire?"

"Yes. And I'll be damned before I let Harry and Lilith come to harm, at least until they can fight for themselves. Harry may not have needed to become a fighter…but thanks to Voldemort, he does…"

* * *

After all was said and done, Harry and Lilith, now that they finally had some privacy, were now indulging in a part of their relationship they had never been able to before. Before the incident at the graveyard, it was because Lilith was intangible, a ghost in Harry's mind. Afterwards, it was because everything was so hectic, with them coming to terms with each other, and with Morrigan watching over them at the Dursleys and at Castle Aensland, they felt they couldn't do it, despite (or because of?) Morrigan's not so subtle encouragements.

To wit, kissing.

Well, it was a bit more than kissing. Lilith was straddling Harry as they kissed, lying down on the bed, their hands roaming. Oh, they were fully dressed, or at least Harry was, with Lilith wearing her leotard and tights she wore in her Succubus form, but they were taking things quite far. Then again, they had a desire, oft unspoken, to want to be able touch each other. Not quite in that way, true, but to affirm the reality of their bond, even if it was something as simple and chaste as holding hands or hugging. However, Lilith's Succubus instincts and their general lust for each other were taking things rather far. Not too far, but they weren't far off it.

Still, eventually, the pair of them broke away, panting, both showing blushes. "…Should we be doing this?" Harry asked.

"I think the better question is, do we want to take it any further yet?" Lilith countered. And it was a genuine question. As much as she was a creature of lust and desire, she also knew that pushing their relationship so quickly wouldn't end well. They were bound together, and had been from birth, but it didn't necessarily mean they wanted to do this so soon.

"…Well, do we?" Harry asked.

"…No. I'm not saying we should take it slow per se…but I think we've got time to prepare ourselves for sleeping together…well, in more than the most literal sense, anyway. You're not embarrassed by me, are you?"

"It's your nature as a Succubus, Lilith. Even if I am embarrassed at times, I accept it. You're part of me. And I'm part of you."

Lilith smiled. "So, what does this make this relationship, then? Incest or masturbation?" She laughed at the look on Harry's face, before getting off him, and changing back into her more human outfit. "Not that it matters, as my body is a purely magical construct. Genes don't exactly enter into that sort of thing."

"You're my oldest friend, first and foremost, Lilith," Harry said. "True, I thought you were imaginary, but…"

"Yeah, I know. And…" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Irritably, she said, "Who is it?"

"Professor Dumbledore. At the risk of sounding rude, are you both decent?"

"We're fine," Lilith said, going over to the door, and opening it, revealing Dumbledore, who looked rather irritated, though not at them.

"Forgive my interruption, but there are a few things I need to tell you. I am sure, Lilith, that you will be enrolling with Harry as a fellow student at Hogwarts this year. I have chosen the alias of Lily Ainsworth, after consultation with your sister," Dumbledore said. "However, there's another concerning factor. As you know, Minister Fudge, at the urging of Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge, has started a smear campaign against us both, claiming me to be a senile fool, and you an attention-seeker." He held up a hand to quiet Harry and Lilith's responses. "Yes, of course this is patently foolish to you and I, but Fudge is somehow convinced that I desire his position. And Malfoy and Umbridge are dripping poison in his ear."

"Who's Umbridge?" Harry asked, wondering whether he'd regret asking the question.

"Ah. Dolores Umbridge is…well, she's a rather appalling woman with sadly a large amount of power. She has been the Senior Undersecretary to Fudge for some years now. To my knowledge, she is no Death Eater, but she is certainly sympathetic to their cause. Fudge was putting pressure on me to hire her as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, when in truth, she would be his enforcer, though to tell the truth, she is pretty much the power behind Fudge's throne. It was she who persuaded him to send the Dementors to search for Sirius Black two years ago. I have reason to believe that she was the one who suggested that Hagrid be arrested during that fiasco with the Chamber of Secrets. And she has made no secret of her distaste towards me or anyone I champion."

"…Did you manage to prevent her from coming to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"No, sadly. I have obtained the services of a very highly-skilled DADA teacher, but Fudge and Umbridge have insisted on her being installed as…" He cleared his throat to make a point. "High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. The position is an old one, set up by the Ministry to ensure that educational standards at Hogwarts are up to snuff. In truth, Fudge intends to use Umbridge as a spy to gather proof that I am founding an army to overthrow him, as well as to discredit us both…though I fear Umbridge will be somewhat more proactive than Fudge desires. Fudge is a paranoid fool, but he is not evil, just clinging to power like a limpet and believing anything told to him. He wouldn't want to see either of us truly harmed unless he felt we were seeking his overthrow, and if he found proof of Voldemort's return, he would accept it. But Umbridge…would be more proactive, I fear. Indeed, I suspect, though I have little proof, that she may have been the one to send the Dementors after you in Little Whinging."

Lilith's eyes narrowed. "…What," she growled. "That bitch tried to murder us by setting those soul-sucking demons on us?"

"I suspect, I don't have proof. It could have been one of Voldemort's followers in the Ministry. Now, I do have word from my sources within the Death Eaters…"

"You mean source," Harry said. "Snape."

" _Professor_ Snape, Harry. The reason why I bring this up is that I was wondering whether Lilith and her link to you would be outed to the Ministry, and thus whether Lilith would be safe coming to Hogwarts. Voldemort has decided to work on gathering intelligence for now, and felt that the current smear campaign works well. After all, if you are not at Hogwarts, then he may not know where you are, so he has given directives to the Death Eaters not to mention Lilith, but to keep an eye out for her."

"But this new DADA teacher…can you trust them?" Harry asked. "I mean, every year, they're either incompetent, or try to kill me, or both."

"Well, I'm certainly not incompetent, but I'm sure that if I went all-out in my teaching, you'd think I was trying to kill you," purred a sultry and familiar voice, and Morrigan walked in, dressed in a severe suit that nonetheless managed to show off a good chunk of her cleavage. She even had a pair of glasses, and a smirk was touching her lips. "I guess that cat's out of the bag. I'm going to be teaching Hogwarts about horrible monsters and how to fight them…"

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. The cat's out of the bag. As a number of you guessed, Morrigan's now the DADA teacher.**

 **That speech with Molly was something I wrote to try and look into her canon character, and her attitude towards Harry and why she mothers him so much. It's ironic that she, one of the biggest prudes (despite having seven kids) in the Potterverse, can confess this to a succubus.**

 **BlazeStryker** **: Which was rather the point. I wanted Lilith to age with Harry, at least until they reach their late teens to early twenties. Hence my making that particular point about her appearance changing age.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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